A New Dawn Emerges
by Kiki-chan78
Summary: Sequel to NekoSandy's Fractured Futures Trilogy. Schuldig and Crawford have gone through so much to be together. Now Erik is back, the only one who can help is Yohji. Didn't he die? Yohji is in a new body and trying to sort out memories. Yaoi. Ch 21 up.
1. A Rebirth, of sorts

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.  
  
Part one.  
  
  
  
A new vision hits Crawford with startling clarity. He sees a young man, more boy than man, driving down a mountain road in the morning light on the way to an early class. Driving with a speed that only comes with familiarity the boy rounds one curve, two, three, four… five hairpin curves each immediately after the other. The sixth is the problem. The golden haired boy frantically tries to maneuver the speeding car to avoid the truck parked on the side of the sixth curve. Crystal blue eyes open wide with fear as the car careens out of control and goes into a roll on the other side of the road. Finally the vehicle skids to a stop before the entrance of an urbanization. The last thing visible in the vision are the words proudly displayed on the outside of the urbanization, "Bienvenidos a Las Mesas."  
  
Crawford shakes his head trying to clear it of this bizarre vision. What connection should some car accident have to him? Especially one that he can't even locate, other than being able to say that it is on some mountain with really bad roads. The boy. The language. The boy looked as though he had some European ancestry, perhaps. Then again that would not help to narrow down the location. If his guess is right about the sign, then it should be Spanish and translates as "Welcome to the tables"?! Shaking his head again Crawford reaches over, picks up his cup of coffee, takes a sip and returns to work on his computer. While half a world away Jason Christophe is sleeping peacefully, ignorant of the car accident that will leave him comatose in just a few short hours.  
  
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Six hours after the ambulance takes Jason to the nearest hospital, Adrian Noir steps off an airplane, into his description of hell, back on firm ground. Firm ground being the small island of Puerto Rico, more specifically the capitol city named San Juan. His final destination not yet reached, is to be the city of Arecibo. The people just milling around the Muñoz Marin Airport is impressive. Luggage. Adrian looks up at the signs posted all around, English, Spanish and symbol, and begins to find his way towards the luggage terminal. Walking out of the gates area, going through the main building, down an escalator into a revolving glass door, through a hallway that leaves much to be desired, and finally into the luggage terminal… at the far side of the room he sees several people gathered all looking at the only baggage belt that seems to be functioning. Moving the small carry-on to his left hand, he continues his trek to get the rest of his baggage. Half an hour later is when he finally is able to retrieve the last of the luggage and leave the building, after showing a joke of baggage identification to the security guards that look like they would rather be sitting in front of the TV.  
  
If Noir thought that the amount of people inside the airport was bad, the people just waiting to pick up their loved ones is beyond imagination. The area around the passengers exit is corded off to make sure that people can get out and not have to wade through a sea of humans. A very uninterested looking man standing off to the side is holding a small hand printed banner about the size of a normal paper with Noir's name written on it. The limousine is waiting to pick him up and take him to Arecibo. As he gets into the provided transportation, Noir begins to honestly consider shooting the person that decided to build the world's largest radio dish here in this unbearably hot island 'paradise'.  
  
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On the other side of the island in Mayagüez, Jason lies in the intensive care ward of the Bella Vista Hospital. His friends have been filtering in and out of the hospital for most of the day, ever since they found out about the accident. Lily Christophe sits next to her youngest child, tears running down her cheeks as she desperately prays that he will wake up. The doctors had said that it would be a miracle of he ever woke. Then again, it was a miracle that he had even survived the accident, much less come out of it with only superficial scratches and bruises. The reason, they explained, that Jason had yet to regain consciousness was that he had suffered some bruising of the cerebral tissue from when he was being tossed around in the car.  
  
That night Jason's mother stayed in the hospital with her child. All around the room flowers and get-well cards are displayed for when he wakes.  
  
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Coffee cup in hand, Noir looks out at the sun rising between the mountains. The city of Arecibo wasn't what he had expected at all. It wasn't some little gathering of ramshackle fire hazards with poverty stricken natives living in them. It was a living, breathing, growing community. From all the films that he has ever seen, you would have guessed that this island was still a third-world-country. He never expected to see such an Americanized society (complete with Mc Donald's on almost every street corner) that still retains so much of its original culture.  
  
Wincing as he takes a sip of the coffee. Milk. The service personnel refused to give him straight black coffee. When he had inquired to this, they had informed him that this was not the strained water that was passed off as coffee in 'the states,' and that if he drank too much of it black he would end up talking like a cotorra[1] because of all the caffeine running rampant through his system. Noir finishes with the drink and turns to go back into the rudimentary laboratory that his team has been able to set up.  
  
It was a lucky thing to be able to rent the facilities of Arecibo's radio dish. SETI was rather adamant about having the dish to themselves, and the only way to secure the rental was by means of an anonymous donation to the city's governor. The donation also allowed them to do some construction in a nearby plot of land. For some things Venture Corp used local contractors, and for other more questionable building practices they used private personnel. Questionable building practices such as, constructing a project specific laboratory directly underneath the radio dish. Noir massages his temples as he watches technicians recalibrating the input sensors from the dish. Without the recalibrations they will never be able to gather the necessary data on metaphysical entities. In knowing more about these particular entities, humanity will be safer from groups similar to Estet that are vying for world domination via demonic conjuring.  
  
Before they can do anything, they have to be able to conjure and capture successfully a lesser metaphysical creature so that they can have something on which to conduct their experimentations on. But, first things first... and the first thing on the agenda is getting something more substantial for breakfast.  
  
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Bella Vista Hospital. Jason's condition has not improved. His body has fully healed, with the exception of regaining consciousness. The doctors have decided on moving him out of the intensive care unit and into the regular wing of the hospital. This decision being based more on their needing the room in the IC than with Jason's health in mind.  
  
The new room seems more to benefit Jason's visitors, than Jason himself. While originally intended to be a double occupancy, Jason is the only inhabitant. His friends still continue with frequent visits. Even going to the point of bringing in a VCR to attach to the TV in the room. The doctors were about to make them remove it when Rei-chan spoke up.  
  
"You say that Neko kun needs to hear things that would matter to him. Plus you keep the TV turned on in here," she says as she points up to the TV that is currently showing some local talk show involving a man that has three wives and some twenty seven children, "He barely watch american TV shows, much less local shows."  
  
The doctor looks down at the long haired woman a moment before responding, "'Neko kun'?"  
  
"Jason's nickname."  
  
"Ah, and what would he like to watch instead?"  
  
Before Rei-chan can respond, Sasha and Jeanette walk in. Sasha carrying an armload of videos, "Sorry we're late with these. I had to put the finishing touches on a paper for my marketing class."  
  
The doctor just glances at the names on the videos and just shakes his head when he realizes that he cannot read the Japanese characters. "Just keep it down in here, or I will have to remove the VCR and restrict the two visitor regulation." With the last statement he looks around the room at the seven visitors.  
  
As soon as the doctor is out the door an enthusiastic "Neko kun!" can be heard from Sasha before she leans down and gives the unconscious boy his besito[2]. Had this been under different circumstances the energetic redhead would have captured him in a headlock and held him for some time before releasing him. Jeannie likewise gives him his besito and greets him…  
  
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Two weeks later in Japan. Schuldich is sleeping peacefully in Crawford's bed, nestled amongst the cotton sheets. Bradley walks back into the room after coming out of the shower, wearing only a bathrobe. Looking at the alarm, he wonders how Schuldich can sleep-in so much, and decides to wake the sleeping redhead in a most interesting fashion… Just as he is sliding into the sheets he is hit with a vision.  
  
The golden haired boy in a hospital room. Outside the window, a creature of the night is crazily chirping away a bizarre little song, coqui, coqui, coqui. Jade green eyes fluttering open from beneath long dark thick lashes.  
  
Crawford's eyes flash open. That child's eyes had originally been blue, not jade. Movement on the bed pulls the dark haired assassin from the vision. Looking down at his flame haired lover, he has to stifle a laugh. Though Schuldich is still in the blissful thrall of sleep, he has snuggled up to and around Crawford… reminding him of a kitten seeking affection.  
  
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Arecibo. Noir, bag of platanutres[3] in hand, looks around the almost completed laboratory. The most important piece of equipment is only a few minor adjustments away from completion, the containment unit. A slight sigh escapes the scientist's lips as he runs a hand down the smooth glass side of the containment unit. Just a few more moments till they can finally put into practice all of the many hypothesizes that they have been developing in the extermination of other planar creatures. With the chips finished, he crumples up the cellophane bag and tosses it into a nearby trashcan.  
  
From the coffee machine one of the scientists anguished cry can be heard. "Who drank the last of the coffee?! This pot was made only an hour ago!"  
  
Noir just picks up his oversized mug, half full and walks off. Unnoticed by anyone, a smirk of amusement across his face. The last of the coffee, wonder how the supervisors will decide who gets to go into town to buy more?  
  
In the supermarket, Noir grumbles about having been unanimously chosen for the trip. It's not like he drank all the coffee, just most of it. Sigh. As long as he is here, he might as well pick up some more snack foods… in case anyone notices that he ate those as well. Food here might be exceedingly unhealthy, but it is delicious as all heck. Into the Pueblo shopping cart goes; a large bag of platanutres, two boxes of pizza empanadillas, a couple of boxes of surrullitos, flan snack cups, two packs of coffee, a container of milk, a bag of white sugar, a bunch of plantains, a new bottle of vegetable oil and a dozen glazed doughnuts, in addition to other necessities.  
  
After paying for the purchase, Noir takes the bags out to the car, somewhat miffed about the fact that he wasn't given the paper or plastic option. What if he had really wanted paper bags? Oh well. Now to brave traffic, that suspiciously reminds him more of a game of bumper cars than anything else. At least when he arrives back to the laboratory, the containment unit will be ready to use.  
  
At least the traffic isn't as bad at the moment. Then again, the worst traffic begins at about 2:30pm… when mothers and fathers start congesting the streets while beginning to head out to pick up their children from school. By now Noir has learned to stay far away from anything even remotely resembling a school at those times. The digital clock on the dashboard reads that it is 2:00. Crash! He'd better get back to the lab…  
  
Within fifteen minutes he is pulling up to the above ground installation of the laboratory. A security guard walks over to check his ID.  
  
"Drank all the coffee again I see," says the guard as he looks at the badge Noir presents, "How can you drink this puertorrican stuff? It's too strong for my tastes."  
  
"Hn? I dunno, I just do." Noir replies with a slight shrug, "Hey, could you do me a great favor?"  
  
"Depends on what kind of favor…"  
  
A sheepish look crosses Noir's face, "Well, could you take care of the groceries for me?"  
  
"Again? Jeeze, what are you late for today?"  
  
"Ah ha ha ha, today will be the tests for some equipment that I helped to design. I kind of wanted to be there," he comments while tugging nervously on an obsidian lock of hair.  
  
"Keys?"  
  
Hazel eyes widen, "Really?"  
  
"Yeah… Just don't get used to it. I'll drop the keys off in your mailbox. Now don't be late to the tests."  
  
Noir happily drops the car keys into the guard's hand and quickly dashes to the lab, but not before snitching another doughnut.  
  
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Yolissa hits the eject button on the VCR, and takes the tape as it emerges from the machine. Rurouni Kenshin. Jason had always enjoyed that series. It was also interesting to watch his reactions to the American dub. He had been trying to purchase the entire series on American DVD, while simultaneously complaining about the fact that American companies were trying to make it impossible to buy original import merchandise. Looking down at the tape in her hand, Yoli wonders what the companies would make of this tape? The complete series in Spanish[4], spanning three six-hour videocassettes, recorded from the TV.  
  
Instead of popping in the next video, Yoli pulls from her binder a set of fan fictions that she had found on the net the night before. "Neko-kun, I don't know if you have already read these," she tells the unconscious boy, "but I'll read them to you anyway." Settling down in the chair next to the hospital bed she begins reading the Gundam Wing fictions.  
  
Half way through the third page Yolissa looks directly at Jason. Something in her peripheral vision had made her uneasy. His chest is not moving. Dropping the papers, she leans over him and checks his neck for a pulse. Usually his pulse is really strong there… almost to the point of being visible if looked for carefully. Nimble fingers feel nothing, no beating of the heart. His lips, as well as his nails, are beginning to pick up a tinge of blue.  
  
"DOCTOR!!!" she screams while grabbing the nurse's button…  
  
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Brad nuzzles Schuldig's neck as his hand toys with a sensitive nipple. The redhead arches up off the bed moaning at the touch. Long legs wrap around the dark haired man's tanned torso, an unspoken plea.  
  
Ignoring Schuldig's long strong legs wrapped around him, Brad continues to tease the panting German. Lips curl up in a smile around a pink nipple as Schuldig begins tossing his head back and forth, fanning red hair around him like a halo. Brad would never have guessed that Schuldig was religious… but the moans coming from petal soft lips could rival the prayers of any religious zealot.  
  
Brad reaches over to the night-table, picks up a well used tube of lube and squirts a healthy amount onto his hand…  
  
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Noir stands before the computer console reading the data printout that it has just given him. Making the necessary adjustments for possible energy fluctuations in the equipment, he begins the channeling sequence. They need to isolate a critter from the other plane, and bring it into this one and keep it contained. The scans that they are performing now will locate and isolate a small creature. Channeling the radio waves through the dish, converting them into a new wavelength that can be put to use in the containment unit.  
  
The containment unit sits proudly in the center of the laboratory, a tube of double paned glass from ceiling to floor, roughly five feet in diameter. In the space between the panes of glass there is liquid hydrogen flowing. The hydrogen is supposed to slow down the waves so that they will act as a barrier on all planes of existence and hold whatever they catch here.  
  
Lights on Noir's console begin lighting up. The scan has successfully located a creature of the other plane. From the numbers that the computer is throwing at him, it looks almost like a godsend… except for the fact that it is accompanied by a larger being. They should be able to isolate the smaller one and trap it. At least that is what the equipment is designed to do.  
  
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The doctors are trying their best to get Jason's heart to beat again on its own. A mask is put over the boy's mouth, and air rhythmically pumped into his lungs. One of the nurses does her best to take the frantic Yolissa out of the room.  
  
Over the din a medic is heard call out "CLEAR!"  
  
Jason's body arches up off the bed as electricity jolts through his unconscious form…  
  
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Schuldig's body arches up off the bed as Brad crucifies him with pleasure. A low breathy moan escapes Brad's lips as he feels his lover's body begin to tighten around his shaft deeply embedded within.  
  
A couple more thrusts should…  
  
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…Give the power needed to secure the smaller of the beings.  
  
Thrusting the power up a little more, Noir watches as the containment unit begins glowing a pale blue. At first two forms begin to take shape. Crash! The unit was never meant to hold two of them… Holding two creatures will over load the computer that regulates the wave channeling system.  
  
A high-pitched sound begins reverberating through the lab.  
  
Noir's fingers fly across the console in front of him, doing his level best to remove the second of the creatures before the entire system overloads and fails. "What is that sound?"  
  
"It's coming from the containment unit, sir!"  
  
"Are we getting a copy of that?"  
  
"Yes, we are."  
  
"Good," Noir punches in the last of the commands to eliminate the extra being, so that the machinery will still be able to hold the small one.  
  
The larger of the two begins fading from view. Making the sound break into two distinct entities. Some of the scientists have dropped to their knees with their hands over their ears, trying to stop the sound.  
  
Now there is one. The sound has dulled to the sobbing of a child.  
  
Noir moves from his console to have a look at what the containment unit holds.  
  
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All that is possible has been done for Jason, a.k.a. Neko-kun. Orderlies begin taking machinery out of the room…  
  
"Somebody call it," Doctor Rivera announces as he wipes the sweat from his brow.  
  
"Official time of death, 7:38pm"  
  
The words are barely uttered, when a faint flicker on the monitor registers. His heart is beating again, almost as if Jason's spirit had miraculously decided to return to his body. Eyelashes flutter slightly as his vital signs return to normal…  
  
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Pain rips across Schuldig's mind as half a world away a child screams in agony. Sitting up straight in the bed, hands clutching at his head… rocking back and forth waiting for the pain to subdue. A faint sheen of sweat glistens on his skin, and his blood runs ice cold at the realization of the origin of that scream.  
  
Erik… Erik is back.  
  
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A small green-haired child sits huddled towards the far side of the containment unit. Noir crouches down to take a better look at the child. This is definitely not what he had ever expected to see. He was expecting something more vicious looking… maybe a few tentacles, scales or hooves? Not a golden eyed, green haired frightened child.  
  
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From the back of the room a voice calls out, "Now we have the test subject… All we have to do now is find out how to kill it."  
  
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The fact registers somewhere in the back of Noir's mind that this was the entire purpose of the research. Millions of dollars had been invested, just so that they could capture a creature, and destroy it. Only problem is that he had never expected the creature to look like a little boy. An innocent.  
  
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That night. In Bella Vista Hospital room 301, jade eyes flutter open. Slowly, almost hesitantly, the golden haired boy raises himself to a sitting position and looks around the almost sterile room. On top of almost all horizontal surfaces there can be seen floral arrangements, Mylar balloons, plush toys, get-well-soon cards, and finally a VCR with a stack of videos next to it. Outside in the crisp night air, the coquis are happily chirping away.  
  
Who am I? Four names surface in his memories. Yohji Kudou, a.k.a. Balinese, and the other Jason Christophe, a.k.a. Neko-kun.  
  
Well, one way to find out who I am is by calling in the nurse; let's see what she calls me. After a little searching, he finds the nurse's button and gives the nurse on duty a little ring.  
  
Within precious few moments the nurse has thankfully removed the wires connecting him to the monitors, and most importantly, removed the catheter. She spoke Spanish. Jason speaks Spanish; it stands to reason that his name is Jason. So why does that seem like a lie? A face with cerulean blue eyes dances in his memory, eyes that he knows will always be smiling. A dreadful sense that there is something that he is supposed to do fills him, though what it is he cannot say.  
  
Yohji/Jason walks over to the window. A slight smile finds its way to his face when he hears the song of the coqui… Even up here he can hear their song. The little buggers honestly are loud, though you wouldn't think of it just looking at them.  
  
Cool night air blows gently into the room, slightly ruffling golden hair. A shiver runs through his body, and he wraps his arms around his torso. A landscape both foreign and familiar spreads out on the other side of the window. Thinking back, he tries to remember how he got here. Two accidents spring to mind; the painful memory of two bullets biting into his back, shattering his spinal cord while on a mission, the other of being blinded by the sun while taking a sharp curve and going into a roll when trying to avoid a truck parked on the wrong side of the street.  
  
There is no emotion tied to the car accident, but he can feel a slight twinge in his lower back just remembering how those bullets exploded into him.  
  
Turning back to the bed, he begins climbing back up into it, not noticing the obvious because of tiredness that is overwhelming him. On the chair next to the bed there is a plush kitty. It only requires a little stretching and balance to grab the toy before settling back into the sheets. "Meow, tomorrow everything will be sorted out, ne?" he says sleepily to the stuffed toy, and drifts into sleep.  
  
Dreams bring him the image of a smiling boy with bright sparkling cerulean eyes. The body underneath him is sheer perfection, as the voice of an angel comes forth from the tender mouth. Breathing becomes quickened as he nuzzles the neck of this exquisite person… Muscles quiver as the blue-eyed boy arches up against him.  
  
This is real! This is the truth! His mind screams at him.  
  
Collapsing down into the pillows, the blue eyed boy whispers… "Aishteru… Yohji."  
  
----------------------- [1] Cotorra: trans. Parrot.  
  
[2] Besito= lit. small kiss. It is used as a greeting between friends. Seen between female+female, male+female but never male+male.  
  
[3] Platanutres= similar to potato chips, except that instead of being made from potatoes, it is made from plantains. They are really yummy!  
  
[4] The series "Rurouni Kenshin" was licensed in Mexico years before American companies even looked at it. I don't even want to think of how many times I've watched reruns of this series on local TV. 


	2. Memories and Denials, Dealing with Today

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.  
  
Part two.  
  
  
  
Aya looks down at Omi curled up on the couch, nestled amongst the pillows, and gently pulls a blanket over the napping boy. It has been ages since he has been able to sleep this soundly. To be honest, Omi hasn't slept well since the night that Yohji had been shot and killed in self-defense by Crawford.  
  
Not wanting to disturb Weiß's youngest member, Aya quietly slips from the room. Just as he is carefully closing the door, he hears Omi murmur Yohji's name…  
  
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Three dogs in the yard jump around crazily when the car drives in through the electronic gate. The largest one, Deathwish, a german sheperd slipped in through the gate when she was a puppy when her original owner abandoned her in front of the house. Dingbat, often called Dingy, had been picked up from the side of the road by Jason's older sister. Of course, that had been years before Alice had gotten married. Finally, the one dog that had never risen above 'puppy' status… Daisy. Daisy, the puppy that Lily had given her daughter, this was of course after Alice had experienced some emotional problems. Each one has seen the worst that humankind has to offer; yet they still offer so much unconditional love.  
  
Returning home from his hospital stay, Jason looks up at the house. Everything looks and feels familiar, except for the sensation that these memories belong to someone else. Opening the door reveals a cat more the size of a kitten sitting on a throw rug. Missy.  
  
"Meow." she says, looking up at Jason with large blue eyes that plead him to pick her up.  
  
"How's my baby girl?" He asks the small bundle of fur as he scoops her into his arms and begins cuddling the petite kitty.  
  
From underneath the dining room table light blue eyes glitter, like jewels placed in a velvety mask of gray tabby lines… A beautiful tom emerges from the dark shadows. His every movement is reminiscent of feral ancestors.  
  
Gingerly dropping to his knees, Jason reaches over to pet the gray color- point. Scant seconds after he has begun scratching the tom's ear, the cat happily sinks its teeth into Jason's hand. All the while purring like there was no tomorrow.  
  
"Alichino… Let go of my hand," Jason tells the cat that is chomping away on the appendage, bruising flesh and generally being a pest.  
  
Somewhat reluctantly 'chino releases the hold that he had on the hand… and bounds off to play with a furry toy mouse laying nearby.  
  
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Noir looks at the most recent data that was acquired. All they have really accomplished is nothing more than senseless torture, at least in his opinion. That poor emerald haired child, being abused solely for the sake of science, what will happen when this mockery of science is finished… are his superiors honestly going to murder an innocent just for their data?  
  
The charts indicate a flux in energy… different energy flows are causing unimaginable pain to that poor child. He had once made the mistake of being in the room when one of the senior scientists was beginning a new sequence, a sequence that was supposed to disrupt the child's natural energy. In other words, his senior was trying to discorporate the boy. Those screams will haunt him to his deathbed.  
  
How can the others handle listening to that? This entire project is beginning to remind Noir more and more of the Spanish Inquisition.  
  
Quickly Noir glances up at the door, halfway expecting a group of monks to burst in wearing red robes and exclaiming, "No one expects… The Spanish Inquisition!"  
  
Darn the contract that he is under… Darn it to Hades! If it weren't for that blasted piece of paper that holds his entire professional career in jeopardy (and possibly his actual life), he would have smashed the equipment long ago and burnt all the data that has been printed out.  
  
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Jade green eyes appear from beneath dark lashes as Neko-kun wakes up in the middle of the night. Partially annoyed at memories waking him up, more annoyed that they were the ones that aren't supposed to be there… memories from Japan. Which is completely absurd since he has never been anywhere even remotely in the vicinity of Japan. In the back of his mind pops up the response… But Yohji Kudou was born there.  
  
Reaching over to the night table next to the bed, he picks up a light pair of glasses. Slipping the frames on, he brings the world back into focus and looks over at the computer monitor that has the time bouncing back and forth as a screen saver. 4:38am.  
  
Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Jason slips into comfy slippers, shivers from the cold[1] morning air and promptly considers diving back in the bed and under the covers where it is nice and warm. A quick glance back at the bed shows that Missy has 'commandeered' the spot that Neko kun has just vacated. Stretching out to his full height, he comments back at the kitty that is happily scouting out the bed, "I guess that we are both just short legged Balineses."  
  
The instant Jason opens the door to the room; Alichino darts in, jumps on the bed and begins to tunnel under the covers. As soon as he is finished roaming under the covers, the tabby color point pounces on the little Siamese Persian mix that had finally decided to curl up on the pillow.  
  
Walking through the hallway, into the entry room, and straight to the spot where the prepped masonite boards are kept. Koneko had once told him that the best way to get something out of your head was to put it on paper… Heck, she had taken all of her frustrations from a weird break-up out on canvas for the same painting and drawing workshop last semester that he was taking now. Might as well get these memories out of his head and onto a painting so they will stop bothering him. I have to get Omi out of my head if I want to go back to being myself, he thinks while grabbing a 18'x 24'masonite board prepared with black plaster.  
  
Before going back into his room, Jason pokes into the kitchen and picks up a glass of water for the paintbrushes.  
  
An aluminum easel is brought out from the corner of the room and the board is placed on it. With a B5 pencil he roughly sketches out an idea of what the painting will look like; a young boy, just a little younger than himself, behind him is a cat… a Bombay. With luck, this will start to take a little shape before he is supposed to be picked up for class.  
  
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Omi looks around the Kitty in the House Flower Shop. It has been so long since Kritiker has stationed them here, he had almost become accustomed to life in the mobile flower shop. Moving the oversized backpack to his other hand, Omi starts up the stairs to the sleeping quarters with Aya and Ken following not too far behind.  
  
His old room is a little dusty, but a little dust never killed anyone. Then again, should he even consider this his old room anymore? Sure, this is where he had stored his things… and it had been his room in the beginning. Dropping the backpack on the chair, Omi reaches up and brushes an errant tear from his eye.  
  
In an attempt to hold back the tears, Omi begins moving around the room trying to straighten things up. Clean linens for the bed are on the upper shelf in the closet… one flat sheet, one fitted sheet and a pillowcase. Humming a little song, he starts the mechanical process of making the bed.  
  
Standing back to admire the fleeting beauty of a freshly made bed, it dawns on him. These were the same bedclothes that were on his bed the first night that Yohji took him to sleep with him. Not that they had done anything that night, he had just slept, tucked safely within Yohji's strong embrace. That had been the horrible night that Ouka had died. The night that Yohji had gently wiped away Omi's tears and wrapped him in warmth, safety and understanding. The night that Yohji actually carried him to his room, his bed, simply because he refused to sleep using a pillow that had funny looking cartoon animals running across it, because he couldn't stand the thought of Omi waking in the middle of the night cold and alone.  
  
"My bed sheets are not infantile," Omi whispers between quiet sniffles.  
  
Blinking back more tears, Omi decides that preparing diner would be a good idea… more so if onions need to be chopped.  
  
Besides, if Ken decides to make something to eat, they run the risk of burning the entire building down. On the other hand, if Aya tries… a shiver runs down his spine. He doesn't even want to think of the consequences of that.  
  
A small giggle escapes his lips at the memory of Yohji's last great attempt at cooking something… That little adventure in home economics ended with the both of them attacking the fire. Yohji tried smothering it with the first thing that came to hand… unfortunately it had been a small towel that belonged to Aya. (It took them well over a week of serious hunting to find an exact replacement for it, and they still got the silent treatment from the vengeful redhead for a week afterwards.) Thankfully Omi had made a fast dash to the extinguisher and they used that to put out the flames. Needless to say, that was the last time that Yohji tried his culinary skills.  
  
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Sitting at a table in the student center, Neko-kun lazily sketches out concepts for latter paintings. The noise from the area around is almost melodic in its consistency. Folding his arms in front of him to create a makeshift pillow Neko just phases out of touch with the rest of the world. In the sketchpad are three design concepts to follow in the same theme as 'Omi the Bombay'… The next few paintings will be 'Yohji the Balinese,' 'Aya the Orchid Abyssinian,' and 'Ken the Siberian.' One that he has started contemplating is 'Crimson Guilt'  
  
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Ever since that night that Erik had screamed out, Schuldig has mentally searched for the boy unsuccessfully. His only rewards being plenty of migraines and a lot of frustration. Someone is thinking of him. Pulling himself towards that one mind, a mind so far away, it dawns on him… the mind is familiar. Slowly he closes in on the boy deep in thought…  
  
Slipping into the other's mind, Schuldig looks around himself to see what the boy is contemplating. While concentrating on everything, yet on nothing at all, Schuldig finds the boy's mental plane trying to mimic his current surroundings with a few interesting changes.  
  
The people are faceless and transparent… Murmurs from the crowd are barely audible, and a few words now and then echo through the area, words in a strange language. Colors everywhere are too bright or too dull or just not at all. The room is more akin to a covered terrace. Stairs on opposite sides of the building run up and down. Near one flight of stairs are the vending machines. People move too fast, too slow or disappear. A girl that stops in front of the soda machine pushes the button for something called a 'Malta India' and fades out of sight.  
  
Overhead a flock of parrots can be heard squawking as they fly by.  
  
//who are you?// a bodiless whisper asks Schuldig.  
  
Looking around, he can see that the people are slowly vanishing. A wave of nervousness washes through the surrounding area. The boy is getting scared.  
  
The sky rapidly turns from blue to red as the last of the people vanish. Sitting at a table next to a support pillar is a golden haired boy with jade green eyes. Something about those eyes look frighteningly familiar. Wide jade eyes run up and down examining Schuldig. Once again the question comes… //who are you?//  
  
Slowly walking towards the boy, Schuldig answers… //I think that you know already… If not, I wouldn't be here.//  
  
//I don't know you.// is the voiceless reply.  
  
Schuldig reaches the table the boy is sitting at and looks down at the only person in the area. The red sky casts a strange glow to the room. Reaching down, he tilts the boy's face upwards so that he can have a better look.  
  
Jade eyes partially hidden beneath long thick lashes look directly into Schuldig's eyes. The instant their eyes meet in such contact, Schuldig recognizes the boy, not for the lie that he is forcing himself to conform to, but for the man he was in a previous incarnation…  
  
Yohji Kudou. Weiss's Balinese.  
  
Without warning the contact is broken and Schuldig is thrown back into his body.  
  
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The headlock that is administered by Sasha, all but throws Neko-kun to the ground out of his chair, instantly snapping him back to full awareness.  
  
"Goodmorning Neko-kun," the overly enthusiastic redhead greets him… with an emphasis on the 'kun'. Releasing him from the grip that a grizzly would be proud of, she leans down and gives him his besito. "Hey, has anyone seen Koneko-chan?" She asks everyone that is seated at the table…  
  
"I think that she is hiding from you," Jason quips back, earning him a rather dirty look.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Nope. Try over in Sanchez Hidalgo room 201. She should be working on her scale model."  
  
"Aw man, and she was supposed to meet me here. Now I have to go all the way over there to get the videos she was supposed to bring me," she says as she drops her backpack onto the green plastic chair next to Neko-kun.  
  
Pulling out the cell phone from a side pocket on his book-bag, Jason hands it over to Sasha after finding Koneko's number in it. "Here. This is the fastest way to catch kat-chan."  
  
"Thanks Jason," she tells him as she takes the phone and then reaches over to ruffle his hair. "Hey, are those new contacts?"  
  
"Yeah, I got tired of the usual colors… So I decided to try jade green lenses." Jason smiles up at Sasha. At least now everyone will think that the change in eye color is due to a new pair of colored contacts, he just has to be careful to remember to never wear his glasses out of the house…Even if it does take a few extra minutes to slip the clear lenses in every morning.  
  
"Cool. That color suits you," turning her attention to the phone, she begins talking animatedly to the person on the other end of the line.  
  
----------------------- [1] Actual temperature is 73ºC. Yes, in Puerto Rico this temperature is considered very cold. 


	3. Painting The Memory of Yesterday

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.  
  
Part three.  
  
  
  
Schuldig massages his temples as his headache increases with each passing breath. Damn, first Erik is back, and disappears again without a trace… and now Kudou is back as well? But where the heck are they?!  
  
Thinking back to the encounter, he tries to recall any information that might be of use in tracking down Yohji. The entire area had been open, plus the parrots flying overhead suggest that it should be in the tropics. K'uso. Half a thought goes to actually getting up, but the throbbing in his head negates the idea and Schuldig just lies back down amongst the sheets.  
  
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As soon as the last class is finished Jason quickly heads over to the benches in front of the Sanchez Hidalgo building to wait for Koneko-chan to pick him up. Thankfully his car will be out of the shop next week. Not that he is all that crazy to start driving around town again, but the car is a necessity when one lives so far out of the way of everyone else. Lucky thing that Koneko is crazy enough to drive just about anywhere, and a good enough friend to come up to his place and make sure that he arrives to his 7:30am class.  
  
Beep. Beep.  
  
Looking up, he sees the teal colored Toyota with happy face decals in the windows pull up and stop next to him. Inside the vehicle, the driver leans over and unlocks the passenger door so that Jason can get in.  
  
"Hi kittykitty…" Jason says when entering the vehicle, dropping backpack on the floor in front of him.  
  
Eugenia Harris, alias Koneko-chan, Pussy-cat, kat-chan and most any other name that is derived from the domestic feline. Most people call them the 'Kittens.' Looking at Koneko it is easy to see why people would refer to her as a kitten… She's small, and has a certain cuddliness about her that she will never grow out of. Taking all into consideration, Jason muses, unfortunately the same thing could probably be said about him as well.  
  
"How's it going Neko?" Koneko asks him once the car is moving again.  
  
"Decent… I have to do an extra drawing for next week's class to make up for the time spent in the hospital. It also looks like my art appreciation paper is going to be late again."  
  
"Ouch, tough break. By the way, what are you supposed to draw?"  
  
"An insect."  
  
"Insect?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm supposed to catch a bug and draw it."  
  
"Jeeze, that sounds like it's gonna be loads of fun to do."  
  
"Thanks." Yawn. "Have you eaten yet?"  
  
"Nah. I was thinking of taking a pizza and soda to Rei-chan's apartment."  
  
Turning the car so that they are leaving campus, they manage to catch the red light. The window is quickly rolled down and the domino's pizza guy is called over, the pizza purchased (including sodas) all before the light turns green again. With the light green they take a left turn and head to the apartment.  
  
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Gasping for breath, Erik looks through the glass at the scientists in the room. The pain stopped again, and the bad men don't look happy about it. They are all arguing with one another and looking at funny looking long papers that the computers are spitting out constantly. In the back of the room he can see the man that always looks at him with sad eyes frantically wiping something up from one of the computers. A coffee mug is sitting next to him.  
  
Henry Sloat, an American with short blond hair, watches Noir mop up the coffee that was spilled over the computer. "Well, people, I guess that we get a day of vacation due to Noir's clumsiness," he announces to the room as he walks across to where Noir is and plants his hand on the small of his back, making the dark haired man gasp slightly at the unexpected and unwanted physical contact.  
  
As soon as everyone has left the room, Noir rubs the small of his back… for the most part trying to rid himself of the lingering sensation of Sloat's hand. Out from the pocket of the lab coat he brings a small screwdriver and opens the top of the computer console. Moving the console cover out of the way reveals a small towel over a layer of saran-wrap to protect the delicate machinery. Noir carefully takes the towel out, wads up the saran-wrap and pitches it into a nearby trash receptacle. Before plugging the machine back into the wall, he makes sure that it is completely turned off. The real reason that the machine malfunctioned, was not because of the coffee… but because he had kicked the power cord out of its outlet. Too bad that in order to complete this deception he had to sacrifice a perfectly good cup of coffee.  
  
Cautiously Noir, overloaded clipboard in hand, walks over to the containment unit and kneels down on the floor next to the smooth glass surface. Setting the clipboard momentarily on the floor, he removes his lab coat and spreads it on the floor so that he doesn't have to sit directly on the floor.  
  
Hesitantly Erik crawls across to where Noir is now sitting and patiently waiting.  
  
"I don't know if you can understand me or not, but I brought something that you might like," Noir tells the emerald haired child, and pulls from underneath all the papers on the clipboard a small Dr. Seuss book.  
  
Large golden eyes look up at Noir as Erik curls up in a laying position within the glass prison. Leaning against the glass holding the book so that the child can look at the pictures, Noir begins to read out loud. Not noticing that halfway through the rhyming story, Erik has snuggled as close to him as the glass wall permits.  
  
When the book is finished, Noir looks down at Erik's slumbering form. "I just wish that there was more that I could do for you," he whispers while lightly touching the cool glass surface. "Poor kid."  
  
Noir never noticed Sloat watching him through a door that was slightly ajar. Unaware of how the American quickly fled to his quarters, pants already tenting from the heat housed within. Ignorant, as he collected his lab coat and clipboard from the floor, of how Sloat was fantasizing about violently plunging into Noir's prone and vulnerable body making him cry out from the sheer pain of the invasion and reducing the beautiful man to begging for mercy. The only thing Noir was aware of was of the extreme uneasiness that he felt earlier, when Sloat's hand had lingered on his back.  
  
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Looking up at the recently finished painting, Jason smiles. It is the fourth and last painting of this set, Aya the Orchid Abyssinian. The most difficult one in the set to complete because of the unusual colors that it seemed to demand from him.  
  
Instinctively, he had wanted to use Vermilion as a base color for the hair with Madder for the shadows and a little Lemon Yellow for highlights. But those colors didn't carry with them the emotions he felt emanating from… Aya. Instead, the colors used were True Blue as a base, Copenhagen for primary shadows, Indigo for secondary shadows, and finally Cloud Blue for the highlights. All cold colors to illustrate the façade the young man shows the world around him, yet still unusual enough to represent the striking colors of the original. Skin tones always reflect the truth of the person, and always invariably fall under warm colors, since everyone has in at least one remote part of their psyche some love. Aya's skin tone is Blush Pink to represent the warm, loving, passionate person that he is, but Imperial Violet shadows show the pain that tinges his core being.  
  
For the clothing, once again, Jason had to refrain himself from going with his first instinct, which had been a hideously ugly orange/red turtleneck sweater. Not that the color would have been wrong, red representing hatred, pain and vengeance… The real reason being that the true color red scares him. In the back of his mind, one of the few memories that holds any emotion, is one of a red sky, the color of the sky just before one of the worst hurricanes hit the island. The night that he (Jason) made a nasty mistake that nearly cost him his life…  
  
Shaking his head to bring himself back to the present, not wanting to remember that horrible night of screaming winds, howling dogs and ripping metal. Gingerly he touches the painted cheek underneath piercing amethyst eyes. Taking up the paintbrush, he signs his work, in kana, making each brush stroke with careful precision… Kudou Yohji, the same name that is on the others in the set.  
  
Putting the paints and the rest of the art supplies away, Jason (Yohji) begins getting ready for sleep. Pulling on flannel pajama bottoms, the back of his mind remembers the feel of cotton sheets against his hot skin, and how it felt to have someone curled up next to him.  
  
Rubbing his eyes, he wanders over to the bathroom. A slight yawn escapes his lips, but if he doesn't take the contacts out, his eyes are going to be too scratchy and red in the morning. Out of the medicine cabinet comes the lenses case, saline solution and the glasses case with a set of small wire- rimmed glasses. Rinsing out the lens case, he checks to make sure that there aren't any foreign particles in it before squirting in the sterile contact solution. Moving up on tiptoe, Jason/Yohji leans towards to mirror and removes the right contact lens, causing everything more than 8 inches away to blur. Carefully he puts the small transparent piece of plastic in the case, secures the cover and repeats the process with the left eye. Blinking momentarily trying in vain to see his reflection within the mirror, a general helpless feeling settles in due to this impaired vision.  
  
Looking down, he searches for a large blue rectangular blurry shape… Which should hopefully be the case with his glasses. Ah ha, there it is. Moving a little closer to the counter, so he can more or less see what he is doing, he opens the case and takes out the glasses. Slipping wire-frames on, the world thankfully shifts back into focus… at least within the confines of the glasses.  
  
If he could get away with not using the glasses, he would. Only problem being that the last time he tried to not deal with glasses, he knocked over the bookcase in the hallway. Wearily he makes his way back to the bedroom to get some sleep. Tomorrow he is supposed to make the final reservations for the trip to Japan. Opening the door to his room, he looks back into the hallway and calls out…  
  
"Oy, where's my baby-girl?"  
  
To which the 'short legged' Balinese comes bounding past him, and leaping into the bed. Alichino dashes past his legs and dives under the bed, and pokes his nose out from underneath the comforter that is brushing against the floor.  
  
"Alichino. Out," Neko-kun tells the tabby color point, only to watch as the cat climbs up into the bed from underneath the covers.  
  
He's chasing bed-mice, is the only thing that runs through Neko's mind, chasing bed-mice. Walking over to the bed, Neko-kun picks up 'Chino to take him out… if not for the flannel pajamas, the claws and teeth on that cat would have caused more damage to his arm. Neko would swear that somewhere in the back of that cat's mind it is saying that chasing bed-mice hurts God. Nevertheless, Alichino is evicted from the room, and Neko is able to at least partially recover his bed from the kitties. Slipping under the covers, he flips over onto his stomach, and carefully places his glasses on the night table before burying his face into the pillow for some well- deserved sleep.  
  
Missy, on the other hand, stalks up and down next to Neko's body before deciding to curl up and fall asleep in the small of his back.  
  
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The time between waking and sleeping is when Schuldig is able to connect to Yohji's mind again. For Schuldig, it is evening, yet for Yohji it is morning. Slipping into the boy's half-conscious mind is easy, the trick is to get out before Yohji wakes suddenly and completely. Since when has he considered Yotan a BOY?! Another look at the figure on the bed makes Schu realize why he has been thinking of Yohji as a boy… all of his features are small and still retain a youthful appearance. Any that way you look at him, the word that comes to mind is 'kitten'.  
  
As before, Yohji's surroundings are mimicked in the mental plane. This time nothing is clearly defined. Everything looks as though through a smoky mirror. The only way to properly view anything now is by carefully examining it up close. Only one thing is not blurred… the computer monitor with the time bouncing around it.  
  
Sleepy jade green eyes look up at Schuldig from under curling lashes. Colors from around the room play in the highlights of those eyes. The boy shifts position ever so carefully as to not disturb the sleeping kitty, and gently eases his way out from underneath the furry feline. One delicate hand uncurls from under his chin and glides across the top of the bed and slips under the pillow, as the other languidly brushes against his cheek as virgin lips part and a small yawn escapes. Red flannel pajamas contrast against black bed sheets. A plush kitty, sitting just past Yohji's shoulder, stares up at Schuldig with bright shining blue button eyes.  
  
Rising up so that his upper body weight is supported on his right elbow, Yohji leans a little forward, letting the shoulder lead the way for balance. Jade eyes blinking, trying to chase away sleep, curved lips brought together in an unconscious pout. Finally the knees draw in to give better support, yet making Yohji look even more like a sleepy kitten trying it's very best to stay awake.  
  
"Who are you?" asks Yohji in an uncertain and small voice as he rolls over onto his back giving up on trying to stay vertical. Golden hair tumbles across the ebon colored pillow. A slight shiver runs through the small frame splayed across the bed.  
  
"Everyone calls me Schuldig," he says, "why is everything blurry here?"  
  
"It's not blurry."  
  
A slight whimper is audible as Yohji pulls his arms up close around him. "I'm cold."  
  
"All of the windows are open, it looks like your cat stole the blankets and your fan is turned on."  
  
"Hmm, which one," Yohji asks as the pillow is pulled into his arms, "Missy or Alichino?"  
  
"Alichino?"  
  
"Hai," is the sleepy response from the boy curling up around the pillow.  
  
"Yotan, where are we?" Schu asks, hoping finally for some knowledge that might help Erik. Kneeling next to the bed, he is eye to eye with Yohji.  
  
"My room. Where else would I be?" Jade eyes flutter open wide with innocence, and then returned to nuzzling the pillow for the additional warmth it might provide.  
  
Schuldig reaches over to move a golden lock of hair out of Yohji's face, when the boy turns his cheek towards Schu's open palm and places one of his own tiny hands over it.  
  
A stifled sneeze knocks Schuldig's palm from where it was originally resting on Yohji's cheek, and is now closer to the nape of his neck… Still being held in place by Yotan's own small hand. Trying to draw out more warmth, Yohji's other arm, curls up around Schu's currently trapped arm in a tight hug.  
  
Leaning a little forward, to release his arm from Yohji's embrace, Schuldig takes Yotan's small hand in his. They look like doll hands, they are so small. Opening them, closing them, he would even attempt to crack the knuckles if he wasn't certain to wake the boy up completely and suddenly… and thus give himself another nasty migraine.  
  
A genuine smile finds its way across Schuldig's face as he compares the size of his hand against that of Yohji's, and watches as his practically engulfs the blonde's. Such small hands Yotan has. Hmmph, reminds him a little of the time that he took Nagi to a shooting range to teach him how to use a gun, not that he ever used one outside of the range; but it was something that they did together. Why would he be reminded of that?  
  
The kitten on the bed meows at Schuldig. Not that the noise coming from that thing even constitutes a meow… a squeak maybe, but not a meow. Climbing across the bed, the fuzzy color point makes her way over to the pillow, and curls into a little ball before falling asleep.  
  
"Yohji, where are we?" Hopefully this time the blonde will answer.  
  
The blonde on the bed merely looks over at Schu. "Not Kudou," is the response, "I'm Jason. My name is Jason, but everyone calls me Neko-kun."  
  
Without warning the screen saver on the computer switches off and Watashi no Tamagoyaki[1] starts playing, jolting Yohji awake… Which unfortunately snaps Schuldig back into his own body.  
  
----------------------- [1] Watashi no Tamagoyaki= Closing song for Dragon Half. Lit. 'My Egg.' 


	4. Mission in Progress, A Denial of Self

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.  
  
Part four.  
  
  
  
"I'm going to shoot that computer!" Schu exclaims while the familiar pain of a migraine settles once again into his head.  
  
The lights click off, and shortly thereafter there is movement on the bed. Crawford is sitting on his side, holding something out for Schuldig to take. In the dark haired man's hand are a couple of aspirins, migraine strength.  
  
"What computer, and why does it need shooting?" Crawford asks Schuldig after the redhead has downed the aspirins.  
  
"Long story… made short? A little over a week and a half ago I heard Erik scream." Schuldig continues as Crawford places an icepack over his forehead. "I've tried to find him. But, I haven't had any luck. He was just a kid… and I could feel the pain he was going through in that instant that our minds touched," a tear escapes from the corner of Schuldig's eye unnoticed. "Though, I have found Yohji. Except that he doesn't even recognize that is who he is. For mercy sake, aside from present company, there is no one that can just sit there and look so fuckable." "Except that now he says his name is Jason."  
  
"I've been able to contact him twice, while trying to find Erik. Loose contact only, while he is between the stages of waking and dreaming, so that I don't hurt him. The only problem is that I still don't have a clue to where they are." "If I can find him, I'm sure that he should have at least an idea of where Erik would be…"  
  
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Leaping from the bed, Jason reaches the computer and turns off the alarm that had started the mp3 playing. Looking back at the bed, he can barely make out the blurred form of Missy sleeping on the pillow. Glasses, I need to find those glasses… running fingers across the night table, he finds the small wire-frames and slips them on. Now he can see the petite feline sleeping on his pillow, as well as how she is shedding an ungodly amount of fur there as well. Is it a law that cats need to shed that much on dark surfaces?  
  
A quick glance around the room, it's not blurry at all, now who had asked him why it was blurry? Oops, the corner of a Kenshin poster is loose, a quick tap and it's back in place. Not that it will hold… by the time he gets back from class the thing will have fallen onto the bed and the cats will have had a party with it.  
  
Opening a dresser drawer he pulls out a clean shirt, black with long sleeves and two gray stripes running horizontally across the front. Black jeans are pulled from the closet, as well as his boots. Flinging everything onto the bed (boots being the logical exception, going to the floor), he tells the sleeping kitty, "Don't you even think of touching my clothes this morning baby girl," and pads off to the bathroom for his morning shower.  
  
Looking at his reflection in the mirrored sliding shower doors he whispers, "I am not Yohji Kudou. Kudou is nothing more than a delusion," his voice falling nearly to a whimper, "besides, Yohji Kudou was killed… I died… He died in Omi's arms."  
  
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"If only we could get him to realize that he is Yohji. Then we would have a better shot at finding Erik," Schuldig tells Crawford from underneath the light blue ice pack.  
  
Crawford just looks down at his German born lover… red hair contrasting against the blue of the pack, and against the white of the pillow. Erik is back, and instead of finding him, Schu finds Yohji in a different body. "Hey Schu, what does Yohji look like now?"  
  
"Yotan?"  
  
"Yes, Yohji."  
  
"Long blond hair, a lighter color than Bombay's hair. His eyes are the same sleepy jade green, except that the lashes are much longer and thicker giving him an innocent look. Tiny hands, really tiny… so tiny that they practically disappear in mine," raising his hand in the air, he gently flexes long fingers as if to better illustrate the point and then lets his hand drop to his side. "He has a small chin, almost girlish, all of his features are so small and delicate. I suppose that everything about him looks a little kittenish," Schuldig chuckles slightly, "a perfectly adorable fuckable baby Balinese."  
  
"How can you be certain that this Jason is Yohji? It could easily just be coincidence?"  
  
"Easy. He practically identified himself as Yotan when he said that he was Not Kudou, I called him Yohji or Yotan, but never Kudou. He was the one that said that, not me." Schuldig's hand moves up to push the icepack from his eyes.  
  
"Move the pack and the change in light is going to aggravate your migraine," Crawford tells the redhead as he takes his hand.  
  
"You peeked, didn't you?"  
  
"Of course… I also know how stubborn you are. Besides, I also had a vision an hour ago of a blond kid fitting the description you just gave arriving in Narita airport within a few days. We don't have to find where he is, just when he arrives and catch him then. I'm assuming that seeing the man that killed him will be shock enough to make him realize the truth of the situation."  
  
"You're evil," is the mumbled reply from beneath the cool surface of the icepack, before the mischievous German is able to fall asleep despite the migraine.  
  
Only one thing leaves Brad slightly puzzled. Who's computer is it that needs to be shot, and why?  
  
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Tossing a suitcase on the bed, Jason starts packing the bag for two weeks in Japan. The flight leaves the next morning. His mom was less than pleased when he had auctioned off over two thirds of his comic book collection that he had been collecting for the past ten years or so to finance this trip. Not completely sure of which hurt more… Losing so many difficult issues that took him so long to track and acquire (or so memory tells him) or the fact that it really doesn't matter to him that he auctioned them off.  
  
He vaguely remembers being excited when he had bought a copy of Medieval Spawn / Witchblade Collected Edition with the two signatures. That one went to an avid collector somewhere in North Carolina for about $60. Guess that the fact the comic was also originally the first place prize in a Wizard Drawing contest a few years ago didn't hurt the auction. The Uncanny X-men #12 had also done fairly well… about $130. He hadn't expected that much for the thirty nine year old comic, but someone had wanted it that badly and who was he to argue?  
  
Leather pants go in the suitcase, can't go clubbing without those. Most likely going to end up borrowing a little make-up for effect from Koneko- chan. But, hey you can't effectively go clubbing without a little touching up. Besides, the weather in Tokyo is cool enough right now that using leather during the day won't be such a bad thing.  
  
Picking up a notepad with a necessities checklist, he goes through to make sure that he hasn't forgotten anything. It would be damn embarrassing to arrive in Japan without underwear or anything else that is vital. There are enough clean shirts, sweaters, pants, underwear (damn, the time his sister went on vacation and forgot to pack undies, ha ha ha, never forget that time.), contact lens solution and case, glasses case, socks, shoes, toothbrush and toothpaste (already sitting in the carry-on) and other personal hygiene products, passport (side pocket of carry-on)… Looks like that should do it. Everything is checked off, either it is sitting in the suitcase, or it is in the carry-on.  
  
Doing a double check on his wallet, $200 cash (a present from his mom), and $700 in traveler's checks, driver's license, and plane tickets. Good, everything is there… Dropping a set of translucent blue shades over his eyes, he starts closing the suitcase. Taking Alichino out of the suitcase and getting bitten in the process, he finishes zipping it up the rest of the way.  
  
The telephone rings. Koneko-chan is calling to let him know that they are outside waiting to pick him up. Hanging up the phone, he quickly dashes outside and wades past happy doggies to go let the girls in.  
  
"Koneko-chan!" Jason leans towards the American looking blonde (one of the few people shorter than himself) and gives her a hug and besito.  
  
"Nyaa! Neko!" She replies as she returns the hug and besito.  
  
It is a little surprising for the kittens when Rosal exits the car and immediately snares the two of them in individual headlocks. "Vente gatitos, a recoger las maletas[1]," she says as she begins dragging two struggling blondes behind her.  
  
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Noir looks across the Aguadilla Airport, waiting for his brother and family to arrive for vacation. It was a lucky thing that his work brought him to the island and that he was able to get this week off to spend time with his brother. It took him a little time to find a beach rental, but he got a really nice set of beach apartments in Rincon. Ethan, Sharon and Nathan are going to love them!  
  
In hand are the flight schedules, and some convenient phrases in case he needs to get information, such as "when is this flight arriving?" or "is this flight on time?" and other such important things.  
  
Pushing a dark curl from his eyes, Noir walks over to a young girl in an official looking uniform. "Uhm, cone sue pear miso," he starts out, "kwando iyega esu te buelo?" Holding out the paper he taps the flight number and prays that she understood what he was trying to say. The girl's stifled laugh tells him that he must have said something incorrectly.  
  
"Dis flite," the laughing girl says, "chee ees to arrive on dat gate." With that she points over to gate 3.  
  
Looking in the direction of the highly manicured nail, Noir sees Gate 3… that is basically a glass door with the number three above it. At the moment the door is being propped open by a large and very unsafe looking wooden stopper.  
  
It looks like the flight just arrived. A line of people is being herded through the doorway toting carry-on bags and pulling behind them drag- longs. Smiling, Noir starts looking at the people trying to find his older brother among them. Traveling here all the way from Richmond, Kentucky. Ethan's son has never seen the ocean before. This is going to be such great fun.  
  
"Unca Addy, Unca Addy!" Nate exclaims as soon as he sees Noir and dashes toward the dark haired man.  
  
Noir gently drops to his knee to pick up the enthusiastic five year-old. "Hey Nate, you've grown," he says as he picks up the small child. "Uff, you are almost too big for me to carry anymore." Smiling, he carries his nephew to where Ethan and Sharon are.  
  
Sharon's smile turns a little sour when 'Unca Addy' comes into view while carrying a giggling Nathan. Roughly she shoves a make-up compact back in her purse, and pushes auburn locks out of her eyes. Noir notes that she does not look pleased at all… Could it be the humidity that is getting to her (rather, getting to her hair) or is it that she still does not like him.  
  
Ethan, on the other hand, looks overjoyed to see his little brother. A smile lighting on the man's face as a head full of familiar dark locks walks into view.  
  
Brothers hug around the small child nestled within Noir's arms. Luggage is picked up from the baggage claim area and taken out to the car. Nathan has to be put down so that the brothers can carry the bags. Sharon will not be reduced to carrying her own suitcases, reaching over she runs her fingers through long dark locks.  
  
"Adrian, I see that you are still letting your hair grow," a dark smile passes Sharon's lips as the darks strands fall free of her fingers.  
  
"Yeah, I just don't have the heart to get it cut," he tells her without looking up to see her face.  
  
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!!! Can I have hair long just like Unca Addy?" Nathan chimes in tugging on the crease in Sharon's slacks.  
  
"No Nathan. Only women wear their hair long," is Sharon's curt reply to her son before ushering him into the car, and finally his car seat. A nasty look is directed towards Adrian before she gets into the car as well.  
  
"Sorry about that Adrian. You know how Sharon is." Ethan says to Adrian trying to take the bite off of his wife's words.  
  
"I know," is Adrian's response, not wanting to continue thinking of Sharon. "Hey, how was the flight in?"  
  
"Decent. Do you know if it is common for people to clap their hands when the airplane lands here?"  
  
"Hmm, I know that when I arrived in San Juan a couple of people were clapping," he says as he hoists a large suitcase into the trunk of the company car. "I thought that it seemed like a fun thing to do, I mean, people clap all the time for a singer or a play. Why not clap to let the pilots know that you appreciated getting back on land in one piece? So, I joined them in clapping."  
  
Ethan just looks at his younger brother and smiles. "Okay. So tell me what is it like working for Venture Corp?"  
  
"Uhm, I really can't tell you much. The contract that I signed when they hired me for this project is really strict. But mostly what I end up doing is analyzing data, drinking coffee and eating the munchies that they provide." A sheepish smile and a slight blush creep their way across Adrian Noir's features at the mention of this. Laughing he continues, "we've had to get a larger refrigerator for the break room. It was either that, or they would have had to continue sending me out to the market every other blessed day."  
  
"Jeeze, only you kiddo. Only you," is the only thing that Ethan can say to his younger brother. Slamming the trunk shut, he reaches over and tousles Adrian's hair a little, "come on, let's get a move on. I'm sure that Sharon is desperate to get to the rental place and shower."  
  
Maybe it was the dirty look that Sharon gave him, or the feel of someone's hand in his hair, or just the fact that Sharon is within the same ten-mile radius as himself. He recalls the last time that he had seen his sister-in- law. Ethan had been out taking Nathan to a day camp, he had just gotten the call from Henry Sloat giving him a research position at Venture Corp. Oh goodness, the woman had basically chased him out of the house, hitting and slapping him, another disagreement over… the length of his hair, among other things. Okay, so he had been chased from the house, and he had fled to the house of one of an ex-love interest that lived down the street. For the rest of the day he hid there sniffling under the comforter in the guest room, scared that Sharon would come after him again.  
  
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Rain pours down; drenching Omi and making clothes cling to his slender frame. Brushing blond hair from his eyes, he looks over the edge of the rooftop at the club below. The owners have begun a kidnapping and prostitution ring. This club is one of the main pick-up houses. Kidnapping clubbers that fit some yet unknown criteria and then forcing them to exchange sexual favors for their lives.  
  
One thing that is certain, Ken does not fit whatever standards this group is looking for. This is even after Aya had dressed the former soccer player to play decoy on this mission. Poor Ken had looked extremely uncomfortable in the clubbing clothes his lover had chosen for him. Not that Omi would have felt much more comfortable, thank you very much, shorts are just fine… everyone else can just keep their outfits that look like they are begging to be peeled out of and ravished upon any available horizontal surface. Then again, that is how Yohji always used to dress.  
  
Oh crash, Ken is leaving the club, and he didn't see the water drain. Omi has to stifle a laugh as he watches his teammate get drenched with cold rainwater so soon after exiting the club. Still watching, he can now see Aya taking leave of his backup position. Tomorrow is Aya's turn to be decoy, and if Aya-kun is unsuccessful… Omi shudders, unsure of it is the concept of being decoy again, or being in a club with the possibility of so many drunks making passes at him.  
  
Okay, everyone has left their positions… the mission is over for tonight, and a hot bath had better be waiting for him back at the apartment. Ken is going to end up with an arrow in his back if he even goes near the tub before he has a chance at it. A small frown finds its way to Omi's face, Yohji used to wrap him up in a ridiculously oversized towel after a hot bath and carry him to the bed. The additional heat would have him panting in no time, and Yotan would always kiss away the tears that would form in the corners of his eyes before sending him tumbling into a sea of pleasure. All the while holding him gently within the embrace of strong arms, and after the final crescendo of ecstasy had passed Yohji would pull him that much closer, and Omi would fall asleep listening to the soothing sound of Yohji's heart beating in time with his own.  
  
Leaning against the edge of the rooftop, all the strength seems to abandon Omi and he simply slides into a kneeling position; tears streaming down his cheeks, mixing with rain drops. Omi cries. He cries for the night that he lost Ouka and Yohji had held and comforted him while he cried heaving sobs that wracked his small body. Cries for the night that he cradled Yohji in his arms, heard the gasping breaths and finally felt a shiver when the last breath was drawn and Yohji had died. But mostly Omi cries for the little boy that was lost so many years ago.  
  
Time passes and Omi eventually finds his way back to the flower shop. By now the rain has washed away the tears, leaving only a heavy sinking feeling in his heart. Wearily he drags himself up the stairs towards the bedroom. On the table is the homework that he had finished earlier in the evening. Collapsing into the bed, he remembers one little detail about the day after he is scheduled to be decoy… history make-up exam. It was because of a mission that he failed the regular exam. If he messes up on this one there is the possibility of not graduating with the rest of his group. Snuggling into his pillow, he comes to the conclusion that Ken will just have to be sent out again as a decoy and he will take the night afterwards. Within moments, the blond assassin's breathing deepens as he tumbles blissfully towards sleep. In the time between waking and dreaming, Omi feels the comforting sensation of strong arms wrapping around his small body spreading the feeling of love and acceptance. The flutter of a kiss is planted on the corner of his eye.  
  
"Aishteru Omi."  
  
"Yohji?!" Startled awake, Omi looks around the room… hoping against hope that Yohji will be there, and only finds himself alone.  
  
----------------------- [1] "Vente gatitos, a recoger las maletas."= "Come on kittens, let's get the bags/suitcases."  
  
And for those curious…. here is a link to a cute little illustration of what Adrian Noir, Jason Christophe (Yohji Kudou) look like. Omi is there too, playing with Yohji's hair. So Kawai!! XD  
  
http://niyao.net/fanart/neko_kun.jpg  
  
Please ask permission if you are going to take this image, and for the love of mercy don't steal bandwidth. 


	5. Time for a Trip Accidents aside

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.  
  
Part five.  
  
  
  
A bump in the road jostles all the people riding in the public bus that is heading to San Juan. Stretching, Yohji straightens up and looks out the window at the scenery passing by. Pushing wire-frame glasses up, he makes a mental note to change over to contact lenses while waiting in New York for the next flight. The next bump nearly sends him crashing to the floor of the bus.  
  
"Crash, these pot holes put the Grand Canyon to shame," he comments to whomever is actually awake at this hour in the bus.  
  
"Pot holes? You mean Craters," is the flippant response he gets from the back of the bus (which if truth to be told, is a van) originating from a sleepy Rei-chan.  
  
Movement from the side startles him for a moment. Koneko, flinging a sweater into his lap and then using it as a makeshift pillow. "Oyashumi Neko-ku~n," she tells him as she practically curls up into his lap and falls asleep (with every intention of not waking until the van arrives at the airport).  
  
Looking down at the sleeping blonde, Yohji carefully takes the sweater from the top of his carry on and places that across Koneko's back… curls around her and promptly falls asleep as well.  
  
Two hours later Yoli shakes the kittens awake… "Gatitos, ya llegamos al areopuerto. Se tienen que despertar.[1]"  
  
Groggily the kittens climb out of the van and take their suitcases. After paying the driver, the bags all get taken to agricultural inspection to make sure that no one is carrying anything that they shouldn't be toting into a foreign country.  
  
The next few hours are a bore, waiting in line to check-in and have the bags taken. Wait in another line to pass through security to reach the gate. Sit in the waiting room for the plane to arrive… At the very least they are together, alone the trip would have been insufferable, but in a group, they can annoy each other. With the plane arriving at the gate all the passengers shuffle aboard to their designated seats. Next stop New York, and after that… Japan!  
  
New York. Miracles will never cease. Koneko had started to get hyper on the plane as it was landing. A hyper Koneko can range from fidgeting, drawing, telling bad jokes to cartwheels and flips.  
  
Yohji watches the small blonde girl as she cartwheels up and down the aisle. It is a miracle that security has not stopped her yet, or kicked the entire group out of the airport. Then again, she is being careful not to be in anyone's way. Poking his nose back into his book, Yotan mutters, "can't believe that she is older than me." Everyone else is trying to ignore the fact that the overly energetic girl is traveling with them.  
  
Boarding call. At least Koneko can't do cartwheels or flips on the airplane, or at least everyone hopes that she can't. Gathering the carry- ons they walk down the ramp towards the plane after their seats are called. Six little Puerto Ricans heading to Japan, two of American decent, four of Hispanic descent: only one from all is going to push back the curtain of doubt that enshrouds his memory.  
  
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The sound of happy twittering birds wakes Omi from his restful slumber. Looking up at the little feathered fiends with sleep filled eyes, he suddenly wishes that he had his crossbow in hand. Saturday, and an exam on Monday… can his teachers get any more sadistic?  
  
Sigh. It's not their fault that his schoolwork is starting to suffer because of his unique after-school job. That's not right either. He's always had the support of Yohji in his studies… Aya and Ken also were supportive, but Yohji had always felt a lot stronger about Omi getting what he considered a proper education. Mostly in part due to the fact the Yotan had never been able to finish high school since his family had kicked him out of the house and he had started working to support himself in order to survive. Yohji would take his assignments in for him on the days that he was too beat (literally) to move and also pick up the new assignments so that he wouldn't be behind his classmates, in addition to working an extra shift or two so that Omi could get the time to do mission research and study for any up coming exams.  
  
Dragging himself out of bed, Omi makes his way to the bathroom to shower before he has to start with his studies.  
  
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Yohji looks around the airplane cabin, bored. The movie playing on the little monitors is some second rate Hollywood flick that should have been burned before even arriving at the theaters, much less to the rentals, and even more so before being put on a plane with a literally captive audience.  
  
In the seat next to him, the window seat, is Koneko-chan… Thankfully she lets the window shutter remain closed. Being over large bodies of water just makes him uncomfortable to no end whatsoever. A slight shiver runs up his spine at the memory of dangling over the dark foreboding nighttime waters rushing beneath him as torrential rain lashed at him, with his life depending on…  
  
"Basta[2]," Koneko tells him, landing a light rabbit punch to his shoulder for emphasis.  
  
Yohji/Neko-kun just over looks at the young blonde, his upper lip twitches upwards slightly, a silent question.  
  
"You are brooding… and a brooding Neko is no fun." She tells him with a pout, "besides, if you are moving like that. I can't use your shoulder for a pillow."  
  
Sigh. "Here, why don't we try this," he asks her as he flips the dividing armrest into an upright position then drops his pillow into her lap and then essentially curls into her lap; a reverse of their positions from the bus. "There, now we can both sleep peacefully, ne?"  
  
In bliss filled dreams he sees the cerulean-eyed boy stretched across a bed, engrossed with several large volumes of texts. Omi. Treading on light feet, he walks over to the bed and cautiously sits down on the edge.  
  
Leaning down, he hugs the boy unaware of his presence. Tucking his chin over Omi's shoulder, he whispers into the blonde's ear, his voice dropping into a huskier tone as the words come out in a melody. "Un poco de ti para sobrevivir," just a little of you so that I can survive, "esta noche que viene… fria y sola," this coming cold and lonely night. A quick nip at Omi's earlobe and Yohji just rests his cheek against the archer's shoulder, content just being able to share time in dreams with the boy.  
  
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A warm embrace: that is what it feels like, Omi thinks to himself while studying. Absentmindedly he reaches up, letting fingertips dwell over the earlobe. Looking back down at his notes, and lets out an exasperated sigh… What was he thinking while daydreaming? Picking up the pencil, he begins to erase the gibberish that he wrote: 'Un poco de ti …'  
  
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They were on their way back to Rincon when the other car ran the red light and crashed into them. The Venture Corp. company car that Adrian Noir was driving was devastated after being ricocheted and eventually sent spinning into an electric post.  
  
Everything seems to be painted red and blue as lights from official vehicles flash on and off. A child's soft whimpering brings Adrian's consciousness slightly forward. Turning his head to see, pain flares up through his entire body… grimacing, he allows his head to lull to the side. When he opens his eyes he suddenly wishes that he hadn't. Ethan's body lies limp, as though asleep, the only thing difference being the river of blood flowing down the front of his face, and eyes wide open staring into oblivion. Trembling he reaches up and closes his older brother's staring eyes.  
  
"Nathan? Sharon?" Twisting slightly, he looks into the back seat of the car, ignoring the pain that flashes. Sharon is dead as well. That much is evident by her posture, or lack of. She was snapped almost in half by the seatbelt buckle that goes across her waist… she had slipped out of the shoulder strap to reach something that was on the other side of Nathan's car seat. Nathan? Oh no, he isn't making any noise.  
  
The small body strapped into the car seat isn't moving except for a haphazard breathing pattern. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registers the fact that the burning sensation on his chin is most likely the chemicals released with the airbag. Reaching back towards Nathan, he ignores the pain screaming up through his right arm. Darkness dances on the edge of his consciousness as reality begins wavering in and out of focus. "Nate? You have to wake up now, we have to get out of the car," tears form in the corners of his eyes, "please, you have to wake up."  
  
Voices outside. The voices sound worried. Don't worry about him… Worry about Nate! Dear Lord, just save Nathan. Adrian Noir finally succumbs to the oblivion of unconsciousness and slumps forward against his brother's seat. The two ebon haired brothers leaning towards each other would later remind rescuers of a twisted version of the Gemini zodiac symbol.  
  
Within moments a set of ambulances has taken Adrian and Nathan to the nearest hospital for care. Regrettably Ethan is taken to the morgue, and is soon followed by his wife, Sharon.  
  
----------------------- [1] "Kittens, we have arrived at the airport. You guys have to wake up."  
  
[2] Basta=Quit it/Cut it out. 


	6. Arrival! Unexpected Meeting

nDisclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.  
  
Part six.  
  
  
  
After parking the car, Brad and Schuldig walk into the Narita Airport. The flight from New York arrived at least ten minutes ago and the passengers are retrieving their luggage from the baggage claim area.  
  
People come flooding through open doors, the same as in the vision. Now the trick is to find Yohji within the throngs of people, and then to take him with them without causing a huge scene. A light scan over the top of the crowd reveals far less than what Crawford was hoping for. The jade-eyed blond still hasn't been spotted. Meanwhile Schuldig has wandered over to the vending machines to get a cold soda pop.  
  
Before he can react, a group brushes past Crawford, throwing back at him a strangely accented 'Sumimasen.' From the tone of voices speaking, the majority of them would be female . . . Glancing in their direction he can see five females and one male. The male, while doing his best to essentially juggle a carry on bag and a suitcase with wheels, is being dragged along in a headlock by the girl with glasses and shoulder length black hair. Turning his attention back to looking for Yohji, Crawford forgets about the group of youngsters. The light pressure of a hand on his shoulder lets him know that Schuldig is back.  
  
"Brad," Schuldig comments, "Yohji just walked right past us." Green eyes are intently watching something just outside.  
  
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Once outside the airport Rosal lets Neko-kun out of the headlock so that they can work on getting the bags into the trunk of the taxi. A slight argument is quelled about seating arrangements before the decision of a second taxi is agreed upon. Rosal, Rei-chan and Sasha take the first taxi, while Yoli, Koneko and Neko will take the second one.  
  
Just as Jason is about to get in the taxi, something bright catches his eye. A tall redhead wearing a white trench coat is visible through the glass doors of the airport. Something tells him that if he were closer he would be able to see that the man has green eyes, a shade different from his own jade. A single word jumps to mind, Schuldig, guilt in german . . . the man looks like the embodiment of crimson guilt. Suddenly he feels like a kitten trapped within the beams of an oncoming car.  
  
Fingers touch his brow in a futile gesture as memories jump forward. Jade green eyes widen, whether from shock or fear, when he sees the man wearing the cream colored suit turn around; Brad Crawford, the man that killed him. The hand that was at his temple travels to his wrist, instinctively reaching for a weapon that would have been there a lifetime ago. He nearly dies from shock when a small hand reaches over and grabs the back hem of his jacket.  
  
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Brad looks in the direction that Schuldig is staring and sees the one that they were looking for. Finally seeing him, he realizes why it was so easy for Yohji to just walk right past them. While Yohji had been tall and sleek, this boy is small and delicate. A perfectly adorable little doll, and getting more and more unnerved by the second. Even from this distance it is still easy to see that he can't be much taller than what Nagi used to be, if that at all.  
  
Aside from the eyes, the motion of touching his wrist, searching for the concealed weapon, is all the proof that Brad needs to tell him that, that is Yohji. A smile spreads across Crawford's features as he and Schuldig begin to make their way towards the nervous boy watching them just outside the doors.  
  
Just as the automatic sliding doors open, Crawford can see Yohji make a startled jump as one of the girls grabs his jacket. An American looking girl pokes her head out of the taxi and says something to Yohji in a language other than English or Japanese. His first guess at the language would be French from the roundness of the way she speaks. A small sound of agreement is audible from Yohji just before he disappears into the taxi. The last thing that Brad sees of Yotan is a set of scared jade eyes as the taxi drives off.  
  
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The ride to the hotel is for the most part uneventful. Yoli and Koneko both gaze out the windows in excitement at the new surroundings, delighting in simple things. Not knowing how else to react, Yohji mimics their reactions; expressing enthusiasm each time that something new draws their attention. The first taxi has already dropped off the rest of their group, and they have started checking into the rooms. Once the check-in in completed, they head up to the third floor to see the rooms, 314 and 315.  
  
As soon as the door is open, Koneko dashes in and dives into the closest bed, being careful not to get her shoes on the bed. Yohji walks in dragging behind him his suitcase and carry-on bag, shaking his head slightly, followed shortly behind by Yoli. From the next room he can hear Rosal and Rei-chan arguing, apparently Rosal put the suitcase on the bed and Rei-chan got ticked since it had been on the floor and is now obviously dirty by her standards. The noise reminding him that the same argument will come from Koneko if he tries to throw his suitcase on the bed…  
  
Tipping his suitcase over on the floor and opening it, he begins to unpack. Pulling the plush kitty 'Meow' from the bag he tosses it up onto the bed he assumes will be his. "Which drawers do I use?"  
  
Koneko peeks over the side of the bed with a smirk, "I'll take the bottom ones since I'm built closer to the ground."  
  
Standing up straight and looking Yoli in the eyes, "You want the top ones? You're taller."  
  
"If you want the top drawers, is okay with me," she replies pushing a long black braided hair out of the way.  
  
"Yoli, you take the top ones, I'm closer to the ground than you." Opening up the second set of drawers he begins putting the clothes in, emptying out the suitcase. Moving out of the way every once in a while so that Yoli can reach the drawers on the other side of him. Eventually all the clothes are either sitting in the drawers or hanging in the closet with the shoes lined up neatly across the back of the closet, his in the middle, Koneko's being farthest since it is easier for her to squeeze into weird places, and Yoli's being closest.  
  
A knock on the door and Sasha pokes her head in, "Hey we were thinking of getting something to eat now. You guys coming along too?"  
  
Only Yoli's head pops up at the mention of food. Neko is already sprawled across his bed with an arm curled around the plush kitty starting to doze off, and Koneko is sitting on the floor in front of the dresser finishing up arranging her clothes in the drawers.  
  
Yoli looks over at Koneko, "Chula, vente con nosotras. No has comido hoy.[1]"  
  
Getting up from her cross-legged position, Koneko yawns while nodding her head, agreeing to go with them to eat. Tapping Neko on the back of his leg she asks him, "Hey you coming too?" A lazy wave from the bed is all the answer that she needs. "Before you fall asleep completely remember to take out your lenses, your eyes are going to be killing you if you don't," she says just before snatching her purse and walking out the door.  
  
A sleepy jade colored eye peeks open at the sound of the door closing. Koneko is right about taking the lenses out now before he is too tired. Halfway rolling and halfway sliding, he gets off the bed and makes his way to the restroom. On the countertop is the contact lens carry case/compact that Koneko gave him as a present before starting out on this trip. Opening the counter drawer, he brings out the saline solution and his glasses case. Snapping open the Badz Maru compact, he takes the lens case out, and rinses out each side before filling the cups with saline solution. Leaning closer to the mirror, Yohji carefully takes out the right lens and places it in the solution filled cup and securely screws the lid back in place before repeating the same process with the left lens. Lightly running fingers across the counter top he locates the glasses case and quickly puts those on.  
  
Now that he can see again, he pulls a small vial out of the compact case… Unscrewing the cap, he suddenly wonders how on earth he is supposed to fill it with the saline solution. Biting his lip slightly from frustration, he examines the little vial more carefully. His glasses have slipped down when he realizes that the nib of the vial just pulls out so that the saline solution can be put in. Snatching up a bottle of saline solution (making sure that he takes the correct one, since he has allergic reactions to what ever brand it is that Koneko uses) and fills up the little vial before replacing it to its proper location in the compact. Pushing the glasses back up to their intended spot, Yohji decides that it would be best to get ready for bed, since it is obvious that he is not staying awake much longer, and the girls will want to go out in the morning to do some sightseeing and shopping.  
  
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Putting a terracotta pot down on the floor, Omi looks up just in time to see a group of foreign girls enter the flower shop. Five girls, late teens to early twenties, one with dark auburn hair, one with blond hair curling up at the ends, three with black hair. From the way the girls are shivering it is obvious that they are not used to Japan's weather just yet.  
  
Omi glances over at Aya to see if the temperamental redhead will even acknowledge the new customers. Watering can in hand, it looks like Aya would not admit to the girls existence even if they decided to swing from his eartails.  
  
Jumping up energetically from where he was crouching next to the pot, Omi says the usual, "Irrasaimasu," with a bright smile. To which is responded a varying combination of 'thank you's and 'arigatou's along with a healthy dose of giggles as the girls wander around the shop making various comments in whatever language it is that they are speaking. The blond girl, the one that apparently responds to the name 'Koneko,' keeps looking at him and Aya when she thinks they aren't paying attention. Then again, with as many stares that they get on a regular basis, it isn't so unusual.  
  
Ken comes wandering in through the backdoor after having finished making the deliveries for the day. One of the many high school girls prowling the area accidentally trips and falls against the ex-soccer player causing his hip to hit against the counter. Wincing in pain, he helps the girl upright and rubs against the spot he knows that there will be a nasty bruise within the next few hours.  
  
Omi scurries over to the cash register, to ring up the flowers that the blond has chosen, six roses each one a different color. Before he can tell her the total, she is digging around in her bag and pulls out a small Hello Kitty notepad and pen. In broken and strangely accented Japanese, she asks him to write what she owes while holding the Kitty items out for him to take. Taking the small pink notepad and pen from her, he realizes why she wants it written. While she can ask simple questions, she still has problems with numbers. Quickly he writes the total for her purchase, and hands the items back to her so that she can take out the appropriate amount of yen.  
  
With the transaction finished, she practically skips back to her friends while toting the roses. Over the din of the schoolgirls, her voice can be heard as clear as the tinkling of a silver bell. The only part that he understands is "Omi the Bombay," "Ken the Siberian," "Aya the Orchid Abyssinian" and when she partially switches to English as she steps onto the street and comments, "the only one missing would be Yohji the Balinese."  
  
At hearing their codenames spoken out loud by someone not in Kritiker, Aya whips around, ready to attack if necessary. The laws of physics while still very much in effect, cause the water from the can to go flying out, being stopped by the closest object to Aya. The closest object being Ken, carrying a medium sized plastic planter that had just been seeded. Aya's sudden and unexpected movement throws Ken off balance, causing him to lose his grip on the now slippery planter, which in turn lands squarely on his foot sending dirt everywhere, and Ken to the floor.  
  
Omi starts looking for a way to get out from behind the register so he can chase the girls down and find out how she knew their codenames, and to make sure that Aya doesn't get to them first. A glance over at Aya shows that he is having serious trouble both in trying to help Ken up from the floor and finding a passage through the high school girls that are fawning over their poor dear injured Ken. Thank Kami-sama for small miracles.  
  
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Noir gazes emotionlessly out the window at the passing scenery. Ethan is dead, Sharon is dead and Nathan is never going to wake up again. In that terrible moment he had become Nathan's guardian. What good will that does when the only option left for the boy is death. The doctors wanted to turn off the machines that were keeping the small boy alive.  
  
The hospital kept him overnight for observation, and he had called up to work to see if the vacation could be cancelled. Wanting to go back to keep his mind off the accident that claimed the last of his family, but also wanting to make sure that Erik is still as okay as he can be. Sloat had said there was no problem with him coming back so suddenly, and the he himself would go over and bring him back to Arecibo.  
  
Arrangements have been made to have Nathan transferred from the Rincon hospital to the one over in Arecibo. That way at least Nate will be close by in case anything else should happen.  
  
----------------------- [1] Honey, let's go. You haven't eaten today. 


	7. Crimson Guilt, Mission in Danger

nDisclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.  
  
Part seven.  
  
  
  
Ken comes bounding down the stairs, unhappy about having to be decoy again. "Omi, this was supposed to be your night as decoy. We already know that they have no interest in me." He whines to the smaller assassin.  
  
"Demo, Ken," Omi starts, "you know that I have an exam coming up tomorrow and I can't do badly on it." Cerulean eyes beg the ex-soccer player for understanding. "Besides, if I go in there tonight you know that I won't be able to concentrate properly tomorrow."  
  
"It's not fair. When Aya was in there last night he scared half the place away with one little look."  
  
"Ken-kun, speaking of Aya, he dropped that package over there for you," Omi points towards a nondescript clothing box sitting on the sofa. "He said that you should consider wearing that tonight."  
  
Curiosity killed the cat, and Ken picks up the box and peeks inside. Upon viewing the contents inside, he can come to the definite conclusion that Aya was not thinking of the club when he bought this. Quickly closing the box, he thanks Omi, for what he is not sure.  
  
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"Ne, Neko! You promised us a day to dress you up!!!" This is the scariest thing that Yohji has ever heard. Hiding under the covers and trying to wish himself into oblivion, he knows that he will eventually have to come out and face them.  
  
Something bounces up and down on the bed next to him, Koneko-chan. Peeking out from underneath the covers he can see that she has an aqua blue garment in her hand. "Neko, wake up." Futilely she starts trying to push him off the bed and gives up after a little while.  
  
"Fine." He eventually tells them, knowing that he will get absolutely no rest until he agrees. Sitting up, he throws the covers off, "What am I wearing today?" Yohji nearly faints when Koneko holds up the blue dress.  
  
An hour later, after much arguing, Koneko is putting the finishing touches on Neko's make-up. Looking in the mirror, he can hardly believe his own reflection. Staring back at him is an adorably sexy sleepy eyed young girl. Immediately his gaze locks onto a part of anatomy that he should not have… breasts. Raising an eyebrow, "Koneko, you are sure these things are not going to fall out?"  
  
"Definitively. Unless you decide to do something weird like a cartwheel or a flip," she tells him while running a brush through his hair and separating it into two loose ponytails. After securing the hair ties she picks up a set of matching satin blue ribbons and puts a little bow on each side. "Lose the ribbons and you are dead meat, you know that don't you?"  
  
"Hai, I understand." Checking the dress a little better now that it is on him, Yohji realizes, there are no pockets. "Koneko, where am I supposed to carry my wallet?"  
  
Dropping a make-up compact, lipstick, Neko's Badz Maru lenses compact and his glasses into a purse that resembles more a backpack, and hands it over to him. "Use that."  
  
With a resigned sigh, he takes the purse and also picks up the gray sweater that had been selected for him earlier.  
  
There are serious objections when he sees that Koneko and Yoli try to drag him into department stores to try on clothes. Making plans to meet back at the hotel, Neko wanders into a park that seems vaguely familiar. Playing with one of the ribbons in his hair, he walks out onto one of the many bridges to watch the fish swimming.  
  
The lingering desire for a cigarette passes through his mind, only to be discarded at the memory of his last one and the reaction his body gave to it. Glancing about, he searches for a place to buy candy; a lollipop should be enough to keep his mouth busy for the moment.  
  
A strong wind picks up, swirling around him, making the loosened ribbon in his hands dance. Next to him an overweight American tourist bumps into him, and he can feel a plump hand reach down to caress his buttock. A startled yelp jumps from the back of his throat as he steps away from the offender and accidentally releasing the ribbon.  
  
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The noonday sun shines brightly down on Schuldig as he walks through the park. Reaching up he plucks something from the air, a light blue ribbon flittering by on the wind. Looking around, he sees a young blond running across a bridge, her gaze intently focused on the ribbon. In her hair is a bow matching the ribbon in his hand.  
  
Behind translucent blue sunglasses jade green eyes widen, whether from fear or shock is unknown, as soon as the blond realizes who is holding the ribbon.  
  
Schuldig can't help but to grin when he sees the jade green eyes. Holding the ribbon up and switching over to English, "Yotan, this yours?"  
  
Looking up at the redhead with determination, he says, "I'm not… Yohji." A small hand is raised, palm up waiting for the ribbon to be returned. Trying not to let the taller man know how scared he is at the moment, he lets an innocent smile grace his features.  
  
"How cute, the little kitten is scared." Reaching over, his fingers stroke a path down the blonde's cheek. The smirk grows wider as the smaller boy jerks away from the contact and takes a small step away.  
  
Jade eyes misting slightly from nervousness he stands a laughingly safe distance from the German. "Schuldig, please give the ribbon back." His weight is moved back onto his left foot, taking the small blonde a few scant inches further away.  
  
Schuldig lets the blue slip of cloth dangle in front of him. A small bit of bait to catch a little neko. Sending out tendrils of power, the minds of all the people around them are clouded. It seems almost a shame to do this, but Yotan looks too damn sexy at the moment.  
  
Thin fingers reach out, almost dancing in front of the ribbon, scared to come within reach to take it. Knowing full well that if the other man decided to attack him it would be no contest, it would be easy for anyone to overpower him… just pick him up, that is all it would really take. But, he needs to get the ribbon back; Koneko-chan can be just as fanatic as Aya- kun when it comes to personal possessions. Taking a quick breath, he darts his hand in to snatch the ribbon away…  
  
Pulling the ribbon out of reach, Schuldig wraps his other arm around the boy's waist, pulling Yohji forcefully up against his body. Tilting the blonde's chin up, he looks into frightened eyes on the verge of spilling tears down soft cheeks, small hands trapped between their chests. "I'm surprised that no one has done this to you sooner," Schuldig tells the frightened boy trapped in his arms before forcefully kissing him.  
  
Carefully he pushes the struggling blond to the ground, straddling his hips, the boy is pinned. "Yohji, you wanted the ribbon back?" Schuldig asks as he grabs the trapped boys wrists and uses the ribbon to bind them together. "As bad as Aya isn't she," he comments offhandedly as he starts pushing the skirt a little higher.  
  
"Please stop," he whimpers, struggling against the knot tied in the ribbon and against the man on top of him. Ignoring completely the tears spilling from the corners of his eyes.  
  
Trailing wet kisses up the blonde's jaw, Schuldig whispers huskily, "Just tell me your name and I stop. If not," Schuldig covers Yohji's mouth with his own and shoves his tongue deep inside, devouring the sweetness within, and muffling the cries of protest. Pulling away for an instant to catch his breath, he plunges back in without warning while the blond is still gasping, trying to draw in a full breath of air.  
  
When the need for oxygen prevails once again, Schuldig leans back slightly. "Name?"  
  
Gasping for air, the small blonde brings bound hands up vainly trying to make a barrier between the two of them as he answers the question. "My name is Jason."  
  
"Wrong answer," is the only thing that Schuldig tells him as he leans down to plunder the sweet mouth once again, easily pushing the bound wrists out of the way and pulling them over his head forcing Yohji to hold onto him. Running one hand around his captive's waist, he finds the clasps holding the dress together and releases them. Relinquishing Yotan's mouth, Schuldig tells him, "I'm going to continue until you give me the right answer. Name?"  
  
Yohji's head turns inward like a chick trying to hide as he whimpers, "Jason, I told you that my name is Jason."  
  
"I think not, little one." Quickly Schuldig places a hand over the smaller boy's mouth before he can start screaming in protest as the dress front is pulled down to expose a smooth chest. Pushing the bra with its 'figure enhancers' out of the way, he lets his lips and teeth greedily attack Yohji's right nipple.  
  
No warning is given when Yohji sinks his teeth painfully into Schuldig's hand.  
  
Jerking back suddenly and angrily, and without realizing it, Schuldig strikes Yohji across the face. Looking down at the now openly sobbing boy, he can see a red mark forming where the strike had made contact. "Last chance before I flip you over onto your stomach and fuck you raw," he growls, "What is your name?"  
  
"Jason Christophe. My name is Jason," he says as he covers his face with his hands.  
  
"Still the wrong answer kid," Schuldig growls as he shifts his weight and forces Yohji so that the smaller boy is now laying face down on the ground. A hand planted in the small of his back pins him in place. Pulling the skirt up over Yohji's ass, Schuldig has to smirk when the blonde jumps at the sensation of chilled air on the back of his legs. A short form-fitting black slip is practically molded to his body, obviously the article of clothing that was forcing Yohji's steps to be daintier than normal while giving his body such smooth and graceful lines. Slipping fingers underneath the waistband, he rips the material downwards, eliciting another heartfelt sob from his captive.  
  
Pushing one finger into the unwilling body beneath him, Schuldig gasps at the tightness found beyond that little ring of muscle. A second finger is inserted to the shuddering boy, and Schuldig nearly comes from imagining what it would feel like to be sheathed in that delicious tightness. With a third finger pushed painfully up inside the small body, the sobs become increasingly more vocal. So intent is he on his ministrations, he almost misses the small voice between hitched sobs. Glaring at that back of Yohji's head, Schuldig wonders if he should just pretend that he didn't hear and make the boy suffer some more… It would break the rules of his game, K'uso. "Louder. Say it louder."  
  
"Ku," sniffle "dou," whimper, "Yohji."  
  
Reaching down, Schuldig starts to straighten out Yohji's clothing to make the boy presentable and pulls him up into a seated position. "There, now was that so hard to do?"  
  
Pouting, Yohji holds his hands up for Schuldig to untie his wrists. As soon as his wrists are free, the small blonde takes a few wild swings at Schuldig, knowing full well that the blows will not harm the German. "You bastard!" What had originally been the glimmer in his eyes of his true personality begins to burn through the façade. Inside, Jason's memories fade further from his consciousness.  
  
Easily blocking the wild blows, he lets Yotan continue working out his frustration. It's natural for Yohji to deny who he is and delude himself into becoming this Jason kid. If the other kid was in there, then Yohji's personality will eventually end up smothering the original. Schuldig would check to see if the other kid is okay in there if Yotan wasn't so upset. It's a miracle that he hasn't called up any of the training he got while in Weiss. After a while Yotan finishes with his juvenile assault, and just sits across from Schuldig, fuming.  
  
"Come on Yotan, let's go get cleaned up," Schuldig tells the still rather irked blonde. Getting up, he notices a slight shiver runs through Yotan. Reaching over with his left hand he snags the loop on the backpack and helps pull Yohji to his feet.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Fifteen minutes after Omi has entered the club, he has been pushed, groped and fondled repeatedly. There only exist very few people that can make their way through a club like this and emerge unscathed. Obviously Aya is one of those, he can cower a pet rock in a glaring contest. Yohji was also one when he was still living, it seemed as though he just flowed effortlessly through the people.  
  
Getting to an area that isn't quite as crowded, he can finally take a look around the club and have an idea of the layout without being molested in the process. Making note of all entrances and exits, Omi goes down to the dance floor to make a better target of himself.  
  
In the multitudes of people pulsating on the dance floor, two small blondes stand out. Obviously foreigners, their dancing has a different kind of sensuality about it. Yet there is something about the way the male moves that is hauntingly familiar. Two words spring to mind as he watches them, elegantly primitive. He can almost see them dancing underneath a moon filled sky, flames from a bonfire illuminate everything within sight and drums beat rhythmically in time with the heart.  
  
With the song ending, the dance floor empties, and Omi is able to see the blonde's face as he returns to a table with the girl he was dancing with. The boy looks in his direction, and for an instant his entire reality is centered upon those jade eyes, this instant is drawn out into an eternity when the boy smiles. Quietly, Omi moves over to the bar where he can watch the blondes with out being overly obvious.  
  
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In his peripheral vision Yohji notices Omi perched at the bar trying to look like he belongs there. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice chimes in that the only reason Omi would be here is because of a mission. They've barely sat down when Koneko jumps up and decides to drag him back to the dance floor. Following Koneko, he grasps at ends of frayed and tattered memories, trying to drown out the memories that belonged to Yohji Kudou.  
  
Stepping onto the dance floor he lets the music was over him, and just lets his body react to the beat, the steady pounding rhythm of the music pulsating around him. Koneko is dancing nearby, not so much as with him, but reacting to him, same as he is reacting to her. Every so often a faceless third joins in the dance. Koneko incorporates into her dance a puckering of lips as if she is trying to kiss the air, plus slightly nodding her head and finally making a quick cross with her forearms. The entire movement takes less than a minute, but it speaks volumes to Neko. He knows that Koneko wouldn't have 'said' that id there wasn't something wrong. Carefully he maneuvers his dance so that he is directly between Koneko and the man she indicated that was bothering her. The man is following her. Leading, Yohji takes her to the other side of the floor to get away from that man. While moving, a couple other dancers bump into them, or block the path forcing them to the area furthest from the table where everyone else is sitting at.  
  
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Watching the dance, Omi notices that a few of the other dancers are trying to herd the blonds to an area of the floor that isn't that visible. The girl stumbles slightly in her dance, and is quickly helped by the boy. For an instant they are out of view, someone is trying to move them from the floor entirely. A small gasp escapes the girl's lips as golden curls quiver around her face and she trips over into the boy's arms. Concern is etched across his features, and then jade eyes open wide in surprise followed by the sharp intake of air, then his steps begin faltering. Jade eyes locking with cerulean, pleading for help as the girl is taken from his arms and she is led from the floor, while another person takes him by the upper arm and walks him dazedly away. What anyone else would believe they saw was two kids that had too much to drink helped away so that they don't hurt themselves or anyone else.  
  
Launching himself from his seat, Omi begins moving in the direction those two were taken, only to feel the room spinning as soon as he is up from the chair. Strong arms catch the young assassin, and for an insane instant he would have sworn that it was Yohji catching him. Reality turns on its side as he looks to see who is holding him. A large blue eyed American is holding him up, the gleam in the man's eye would make ice shiver.  
  
The multitude of people milling around is cover enough for the kidnapping. Omi is about to open his mouth to call for help, when he feels a slight pin prick in his arm and he goes tumbling into the blue eyed man's arms. 


	8. Wake Up! Reunion

nDisclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.  
  
Part eight.  
  
  
  
Slowly Yohji opens his eyes and lets a languid gaze move across the room. Taking note of his position, he maneuvers himself so that he is sitting upright and tucks his legs underneath him. Looking to his left he can see Omi laying on the ground, arms bound securely behind his back. Something in the back of his mind screams at him that he is in danger as his body sways back and forth. To his right he can see Koneko beginning to stir. The way her head pops up and tilts slightly as she looks at him questioningly reminds him of her namesake, a kitten. Yohji watches as her eyes roam the area and then her lip does a double twitch, a silent question; light gray eyes now fastened on him in uncertainty. Pressing lips together then drops his jaw down and quickly bring it back into place tells her all that she needs to know; He doesn't know where they are either.  
  
Without realizing the language change, Yohji switches over to Japanese to try and rouse Omi. "Oy Omittchi, you okay?"  
  
Cerulean eyes begin fluttering open as the blonde assassin starts to wake. "Hai, I'm fine," Omi's large eyes lock onto jade green eyes when he notices a flash of Yohji's personality in them.  
  
"What is going on? Last thing we know is that we were herded off the dance floor, drugged and now we wake up here." Yohji over extends himself a little too much and begins to lose his balance, quickly he spreads his knees creating a tripod effect, giving himself better leverage and restoring his center of gravity.  
  
Omi watches the blonde's head bob up and down slightly as the boy regains his balance. He can't help but let his eyes wander over the body splayed so sublimely in front of him. Leather pants practically molded to his skin, a high collared golden top hugs his torso with long sleeves with a slit running from wrist to shoulder only touching together in two places along his arm. "I'm not really sure either. Last thing that I remember is getting up from a seat and feeling dizzy," pause, "and how did you know my name?"  
  
"Later, I'll explain that later when there is more time. First we have to get loose and out of here before anything else happens." Shifting his body around slightly, Yohji holds his wrists bound behind his back over to Omi's general direction. "Untie me please…if I let Koneko try she'll just make a bigger mess of the knots."  
  
"Koneko?"  
  
Yohji quickly motions towards the daintily petite girl trying unsuccessfully to get into a seated position. The girl looks up at Omi, then to Yohji. While still looking at Yohji, she purses her lips together in Omi's direction and then her upper lip does a double twitch. "Es uno de nosotros, y si queremos sobrevivir esta noche necesitamos su ayuda.[1]"  
  
It's the response that the boy gives that brings forth a bizarre and meaningless phrase to Omi's mind. 'Un poco de ti para sobrevivir[2]...'  
  
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Schuldig pulls his car into a parking place near the pier, slightly grumbling about the fact that Brad had told him to pick up that girl's purse/backpack at the club and to settle her friends down before coming here. Getting out of the car, he looks back at the inoffensive black bag sitting on top of the towels that Brad had also insisted on him bringing. What in Hades had Crawford seen that was going to happen tonight?  
  
Straightening up as he walks away from the vehicle, hands go into the pockets of the trench coat and fingertips brush against the wristwatch that houses Balinese's weapon. This will be the last thing needed to prove to Yohji of who he really is.  
  
Further ahead, getting aboard the ship is a Military Officer accompanied by a handsome Hispanic male of obviously lower rank. Hurrying a little, and slightly manipulating the sense of time of all those within close range, Schuldig makes it onto the ship before the heavy port is closed with a solid sounding clank behind him. Another slight manipulation and he is all but invisible to the room.  
  
Sending out a silent tendril of power, he searches out Yohji's location. Within scant moments, he has located the 'boy' three decks below; two others are with him, Omi, and the girl that Yohji refers to as Koneko-chan. The three of them are loose and on the move. A slight look of puzzlement crosses Schuldig's face at the realization that Yohji is forcing himself not to notice something, but what is he not noticing? Looking into the girl's mind is helpful, a steady stream of cruise ship layouts run across the mindscape referencing back to their location, estimating where they would be and judging the swaying motion that they are luckily still in port; all the while a chant can be heard in the back of her mind… 'Don't let Neko realize we are on a ship.' Why is that?  
  
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The three blondes reach a staircase leading up and down. With a languid movement that flows through her entire arm, Koneko points up the stairs indicating the direction they should continue. Neko gives her a skeptical look, but doesn't bother arguing when blue eyes flash open daring him to contradict her choice. Moving up as far as they can, they arrive two decks higher when the stairs abruptly end. Leaving the stairs behind, they make their way down the next hallway. Gunshots from behind forces a hasty change in plans and they end up dashing across a lobby into a dining hall. Using their diminutive size as an advantage, the three of them crawl under one of the tables in hopes of doubling back to resume the original course that they were on.  
  
Quietly moving from one table to the next, they make their way back the way that they came in through.  
  
Omi looks from Neko to Koneko. Neko just looks back at him and gives a quick smile as if to say that everything will be all right, though his eyes have darkened a shade from the gravity of the situation. Determination is etched across Koneko's features, even with silver tears starting to slip from the corners of her eyes, a result of nerves beginning to fray, yet she pushes herself forward.  
  
Only three tables from the door when another person enters, long white pants are the only distinguishing feature that the small group can see from their position. A rapid succession of gunshots rings through the air making Koneko scream out of surprise and fear revealing their position. The person in the white pants gracefully drops down to one knee and peeks under the table, revealing long fiery red hair and an amused smirk.  
  
"Kittlings, if we don't hurry and get out of here fast, we won't be able to leave." Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small wristwatch and hands it over to Yotan, "and you might end up needing this."  
  
A grave look settles on Yohji's face as he accepts the watch and checks the coil mechanism for the wire before strapping it onto his wrist. "Thanks, I think."  
  
Koneko looks up at Schuldig, and then back at Yohji, "y el, ¿es uno de nosotros?[3]"  
  
Jade eyes lock on the blond girl "para nada. Es un santo-cabron-bastardo- hijo-de-la-gran-puta. Se llama Schuldig[4]."  
  
Schuldig just shakes his head, not wanting to know how badly he has just been insulted. "Come on, the entrance that I used to get into this place is no good anymore. We need an alternate way out."  
  
Quickly he links up with Omi's mind, //Omi, whatever you do, don't mention that we are on a ship.//  
  
//Huh? Why, what would that do?//  
  
//The kid is forcing himself not to notice that we are on a ship, and if what I'm picking up from the girl is correct, the instant he 'realizes' what he is in, we will have to carry him out of here.//  
  
//…//  
  
//We'd better hurry. Also, I peeked at the course that she has plotted out, and it will run you directly into your target. So, consider that a lucky break chibi.//  
  
Without telling Omi, Schuldig lifts most of the mission details from his mind and quietly deposits them in Yohji's. Oh this is going to be fun when Bombay realizes whom he just ran into, even more so when Yohji drops this whole Jason charade.  
  
----------------------- [1] He is one of us, and if we want to survive the night we need his help.  
  
[2] A little of you to survive…  
  
[3] And him, is he one of us?  
  
[4] For nothing. He is a (lit trans of cussing) holy-goat-bastard-son-of-a- great/huge-whore. His name is Schuldig. 


	9. Ship Ahoy A Neko Remembers the Water

nDisclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part nine.  
  
Entering the lounge, Omi spots the target at the same time as Yohji. Problem being that along with the target there are several bodyguards and the set of military personnel that Schuldig saw on the way in. The younger military man pulls a gun out and takes aim at the first person in through the door, Koneko.  
  
The next instant, Koneko finds herself flattened against the ground as the gun is fired, next to her is Omi and covering both is Neko.  
  
Yohji motions for Omi to go around the left to get to the main target. Whispering, "Schu, keep an eye on Koneko and make sure that nothing happens to her." "If anything does happen to her, I don't care if I have to come back from the dead again to haunt you."  
  
On silent feet the two hunters swiftly move across the room from opposite sides. Each keeping tabs on the other to make sure that nothing has gone wrong. Upon arriving at the other end of the room Omi carefully makes his way up onto the stage and uses the curtain as cover as he takes aim at the target. Yohji crouches lower, making himself even less visible and waits for Omi to make the first move.  
  
An arrow is shot from the stage and pierces straight into the temple of their target. The younger military personnel immediately whips around to start firing at the stage, only to find himself tangled within thin strong wire. Before anyone else can properly react, they are either brought down with a tranquilized dart, or immobilized with more wire. Those wrapped in wire are given the warning, "If you want to live, I suggest that you don't struggle."  
  
Pulling back the curtain, Omi emerges from the darkness of the stage in time to see Neko turn to look at him, loops of shimmering glittering wire dangling from his fingertips and a serene smile lighting across his features at the sight of the one he loved more than life. "Omittchi, lets go."  
  
"Who are you, really?"  
  
"Later, I'll tell you everything later." Offering up a hand, Yohji helps Omi down from the stage. Hesitantly Omi accepts the outstretched hand. Looking back, Yohji can see Koneko starting to make her way across the room quietly being flanked by Schuldig. When she is standing over the military man, a sour look plants itself on her face.  
  
Schuldig is a little taken back when rage and hatred bloom across the girl's consciousness. All of it, directed at the figure lying unconscious in front of her. Murderous thoughts run rampant through her mind as snippets of memories jump forth; a cheap engagement ring, standing alone watching as her sister leaves the house for the last time, infidelity, divorce, pain and heartache. Not even in her mind does she dignify the man with a name; Rat, Weasel, Bastard, and 'R,' these are the names for him. Halfway amused, Schuldig watches as she daintily steps around the man, not wanting to even touch the filth that she considers him to be.  
  
When everyone is leaving the room, Schuldig pulls out his gun, fastens the silencer in place and plants a bullet in the man's skull. Holstering the gun again, he catches up to the others, smirking slightly when he notices that Yohji hasn't yet released his hold on Omi's hand. Something about those two catches his attention, oh this is rich, Omi is taller than Yohji! Coughing a little to hide the laughter, he gets three sets of eyes fixed on him.  
  
A noticeable lurch to the side lets everyone know that the ship is leaving the port.  
  
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Erik looks through the glass at the room. The mean people haven't been in here today, which is good, but he kinda' misses Addy (everyone else always calls him Noir). All the lights are turned off, and the only illumination is the soft eerie glow cast by the glass tube he is trapped in. To the left a door opens, leaking light into the room, only to disappear just as quickly when the door is closed once again.  
  
A squeal of delight tumbles from Erik as he recognizes the person in the room. Addy! Quickly he moves as close, as allowed, to the dark-haired man. Something is odd, Addy's hair is loose, it is never loose, it is always pulled back in a ponytail. Why is he hiding his face behind his hair?  
  
"Sorry that I wasn't here for a few days, my older brother was in town with his family. . . But now I'm back here, and that is all that really matters now, isn't it?"  
  
Watching as Noir sits next to the containment unit, Erik wonders why is it that his friend sounds so sad. A futile push against the glass is the only thing that the young boy can do when he sees the tear paths streaked across Noir's face. Visible only because the normally chipper young man had turned to flash a reassuring smile at the boy before starting to read out loud another nonsensical rhyming book.  
  
Only half of the book is read before Noir breaks down in silent heaving sobs, leaving Erik crying in sympathy and unable to comfort the only person who has tried to help him in this awful place.  
  
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Fear. Pure and unadulterated fear permeates through Yohji's entire psyche as he steps backwards against the wall. His hands find the railing, put there to aid in steadying passengers during turbulent times at sea, and fasten on to it like a lifeline. Memories flash in his mind. Someone is calling to him . . . When are they calling him? Is it now, or was it then, or both . . . I can't be on a ship, anywhere but a ship, Koneko you know that! 


	10. Arrival at the Flower Shop A Cat Saves a...

nDisclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part ten.  
  
Koneko watches as Neko latches on to the handrail. Darn it, she was hoping to at the very least get him into a lifeboat before he started reacting like this. The ship is moving, there is no way that he is going to get into another boat, only one option exists. They are going to have to swim to shore. At least living on an island gives them an advantage; both are pretty strong swimmers, though they have to make it to the water before there is more than a kilometer between them and the shore. Hopefully the shock of the water will make Neko react like a normal person.  
  
Quickly she glances over at the red head and the blonde and wonders how she will tell them that the most logical choice is making a dive for it. Before she can even open her mouth, smirking, the red haired guy makes a diving motion with his hand, as if letting her know that he also thought of the same thing.  
  
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Reaching over, Schuldig pulls Yohji away from the railing and engulfs the frantically struggling blonde within his arms. Lifting Yohji from the floor, he makes his way to the outer deck; fighting to keep the diminutive sized boy in his grip as the struggles increase incredibly once they have emerged into the crisp sea air. Emotions crash into Schuldig's mind, mercilessly battering against the shields that protect his psyche.  
  
The emotions beating at his mind cause the tall redhead to slightly stagger to the side, his hip hitting against the hard metal railing. Seeing the slight opening caused by the momentary impact, Yohji attempts to scramble from his current captor. Schuldig looks up in time to see the green eyed blond fall into a defensive stance, the boy's entire frame trembling. He is going to have to fight to get Yotan under control again, a situation that Schu does not relish contemplating now that Yohji is armed, dangerous and not thinking clearly.  
  
Yohji is thrown forward when Koneko-chan attacks him with a running tackle, sending him stumbling closer to the edge. The small girl drops down to a crouching posture and launches her final attack against the person she loves like a brother. Launching forward, she catches him in the abdomen and takes hold, letting her momentum carry them even closer to the edge. When the initial momentum wanes, she continues pushing them towards the railing, silently praying that her lower body strength is enough to move him. A final impulse sends both careening over the edge of the ship and plunging into the dark waters below. With Schuldig and Omi diving in after them.  
  
A quick visual scan across the waters informs Schuldig that Yohji and his little female friend have yet to surface. Sending out silent tendrils of mental energy, he finds the reason. Sudden immersion in the cold water has wreaked havoc with their inner ear, resulting in vertigo; they can't find their way to the surface. Without immediate aid, Yohji will die for a second time.  
  
Without a second thought, Schuldig locks Omi onto Yotan's position as the currents carry his new incarnation further and further beneath the surface. Taking a deep breath, he watches as the blond assassin dives back under the waves in search of the mysterious blond, while Schu swims after the girl.  
  
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Aya pulls his coat closer around himself as the winds start to pick up. Glaring at the brightly lit entrance to the club, he only manages to make several people feel uncomfortable without knowing why, except for the sensation of someone walking over their graves. "Siberian, has Bombay checked in with you?" Abyssinian growls into the communications device assigned by Kritiker, his voice dropping into a husky purr.  
  
The radio responds with a slight static, which clears immediately. "I haven't heard back from him yet," from the tone of voice Ken uses, Aya can already imagine the ex-soccer player leaning lazily against the stonewall of his designated observation point. A faint smile cracks across the stoic redhead's face when a string of sputtered curses can be heard over the open radio line, followed almost immediately by Ken halfway whining, halfway complaining about a bird, the recent bird droppings, and Ken's brand new leather jacket.  
  
Stalking back to the Porsche, Aya flips open the slim silver Vaio notebook. After a brief search, he locates the tracking program that Omi set up in to lock into the tracking chips implanted into each member of Weiss upon their induction to the team. Four signals are visible on the screen, four little crosses; a cold chill runs through his body when it dawns on him that Yohji's chip is still active. Disregarding the signal glaring at him from the cemetery, he concentrates on the other three. One signal (his) across the street from the club, one (Ken) behind the club, and one at the pier... The only reason Omi would leave the mission location, without checking in, would be because he is in trouble. Opening the lines of communication once again, "Siberian, get on your bike. Bombay is at the pier."  
  
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Wrapping his arms around the drowning boy's waist, Omi begins the ascent to the waters surface. A gasp can be heard when they reach open air, and the young assassin starts moving towards the edge of the pier. Quiet coughing and sputtering draws his attention to the person he is towing.  
  
The smaller blond remarks, "I can swim on my own."  
  
A skeptical look crosses Omi's face as he continues paddling through the dark waters. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Hai," is the immediate response.  
  
Cautiously, Omi relinquishes his grip on the mysterious blonde. The blonde bobs up and down in the water momentarily before regaining his confidence and starts paddling his way towards solid ground with strong strokes. Only one thing makes Omittchi uncomfortable. the blonde is shivering constantly, even while swimming. What is going to happen when they get out of the water and into the cold night air?  
  
Within what seems to be mere moments, they have arrived at a small metal ladder that leads to the upper dock, and out of the water. Neko is holding one of the supports in order to take a small reprieve from swimming while waiting for Omi to arrive, before climbing the ladder to solid ground.  
  
"After you," Omi tells the badly shivering blonde in front of him.  
  
Yohji just nods his head, takes a hold of the metal rung and begins the ascent. Shortly after, he feels the warmth of Omi's body as the bright eyed assassin climbs up directly underneath him, making sure that there is no way Yohji's shivering would cause him to fall back into the water. Every so often, Yohji pauses and leans into Omi's make-shift embrace when the cold has settled too deep into his joints sending a dull ache through his entire physical form. "Gomen ne, Omittchi," Yohji comments, while turning his head slightly to look at Omi in his peripheral vision, "I just can't seem to stay out of your arms." Throwing a kiss in Omi's direction, Yohji finishes climbing the cold hard ladder and stands firmly on solid ground.  
  
Feet planted apart, Yohji tries to stay standing, tries to defy everything that his body is screaming to him. The shivering has stopped, but the wretched cold is still there. Wrapping his arms around his torso in a vain attempt to remain warm, his legs give out and send him sprawling to the floor, gasping from the exertion of the swim and the cold painful numbness slowly spreading to every limb of his being. His body aches from the cold, levels of temperature that this body has never had to endure. Opening his eyes, he can see Omi kneeling next to him, a look of pure concern is etched in cerulean blue eyes. Jade eyes dilating, he can barely focus on the face that has haunted his dreams, the face of an avenging angel stained in blood, and shrouded in darkness.  
  
Pulling himself up despite the pain, he looks into the face that he tried to forget. "I've traveled from the other side. to forget a ghost that never existed," a small laugh tumbles from his lips, "Never realized the ghost was me." Leaning forward, holding onto the archer's shoulder for support, Yohji plants a light kiss on Omi's slightly parted lips and finally succumbs to blissful unconsciousness.  
  
Confusion is the only emotion that crosses Omi's awareness as he looks down at the unconscious form lying in his lap. Looking up, he can see Aya's Porsche pull up and park beside the car, he would hazard to guess is, owned by Schuldig. In the distance Bombay can hear the motor of Ken's motorcycle.  
  
Aya quickly emerges from the Porsche and makes his way to where Omi is still sitting with the unconscious boy in his lap. "Bombay, are you alright?"  
  
"Hai, even though I had a little help with the mission," is the response from the smaller assassin. As if on cue, Schuldig finishes climbing up onto land, carrying an unconscious small blonde girl, Koneko-chan.  
  
The German just looks over at Omi, "She collapsed halfway up the ladder and couldn't finish climbing, and after the way that your little boyfriend threatened me back on the ship," a smirk spreads across the features of the tall red-head, "well, I just couldn't leave her." "Heh, especially after his little comment about not caring if he has to come back from the dead again." A few long strides brings Schu to where Omi is sitting near the car, and places the girl near Yohji.  
  
A faint mewling sound can be heard from Koneko as Schuldig begins unbuttoning her shirt. "Omi, start stripping your kitten," Schuldig says to a bewildered Bombay. Turning to Aya, and motioning towards his car, "in the backseat there are some dry towels. Get those and bring them here."  
  
Aya stands his ground, while eyeing Koneko and Schuldig simultaneously, a scowl planted across his features. Seeing the girl again brings forth the question of how she knew the names and corresponding codenames of all of Wei?'s members, including Yohji's. Moving towards the car indicated, unsure of why he is doing this exactly, even more so of why that cursed telepath is insisting that those two be stripped.  
  
"Because they are going into hypothermic shock, and these wet clothes are making their condition worse, ignorant bastard," is the sharp retort from the 'cursed telepath,' "and if you want to know why this kid knows the names and codenames. Well, I would suggest that you ask Omi's little boy- toy when he is out of danger of dying from hypothermia. But don't throttle the kid too badly when you do, I have to ask him a few questions of my own." Schuldig looks pensive for a moment, "though the answers I want from him are probably going to be easier to get after your little group has talked to him."  
  
The towels are all but thrown at Schuldig. "Omi, go with Schuldig and make sure that these two are brought to the shop."  
  
An enthusiastic nod is the response from Omi, even though he is still reeling from the kiss received from the boy. Neko-kun? "Hai, I'll make sure that they get there," he comments while unbuttoning the soaked leather pants, "and Schuldig, he is not my boyfriend."  
  
"Right, kid," is the only remark made as the German born assassin begins wrapping a dry towel around Koneko and unceremoniously dumps her into the backseat of his car. Walking back to Omi and Yohji, while ignoring Aya, he drops a dry towel on Omi's head and picks up the now stripped Yotan (who also has a towel wrapped around him for decency's sake). "Omi, grab their clothes and drop them in the trunk. You get to sit in back with them. they need another source of body heat, and guess who has been elected for the job. I can tell you for sure that it isn't 'mister I-have-a-freaking-icicle- up-my-ass' over there, that chill would outright kill them."  
  
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Yohji slowly opens his eyes, and quickly shuts them. Damn contact lenses! They stayed in all night. Oy, where is Koneko and the contact lenses case with the saline solution. Gingerly he rubs his eyes, hoping for some relief from the scratchiness and the dryness. Rolling out of bed, the next question comes to mind, the query of what exactly happened to his clothes, and why he is not wearing them. Grabbing the flat sheet from the bed, he loosely wraps that around his waist for decency sake.  
  
Squeaky hinges alert him that someone is opening the door and a dark haired young man pokes his head into the room to check on its occupant.  
  
"Good morning Kenken," is the first thing that pops out of Yotan's mouth before he can stop himself. A mischievous smile finds its way onto Yohji's face. "Oy, have you seen what happened to my clothes? I'm feeling a little vulnerable at the moment." Turning slightly, he can see both his and Ken's reflection in the window pane and the smile drops away.  
  
"Kid, how did you know my name?"  
  
Jade eyes deepen in hue as a touch of melancholy seeps into them. "I've known your name since I woke from my accident three months ago. Before then, I knew it when I joined..."  
  
A noise distracts him, not a noise, a voice; a girl is apologizing and repeating, in heavily accented Japanese, that she doesn't understand. Straining to hear better, Yohji picks up Aya's voice as well, it seems that the amethyst eyed red-head is trying to interrogate Koneko and find out why she knows Wei?'s codenames. From the strain that he is hearing in the girl's voice, and as well as he knows her, he can very well guess that she is pretty soon going to try and hit Aya. Would Aya hit a girl that much smaller than himself? He probably would.  
  
"Excuse me Kenken," Yohji says as he darts past the ex-soccer player and finally out of the room. In the hallway there is only one other door that is open, Omi's room. Ducking into the open room, he can see Koneko on the bed, pulling a sheet around herself with Aya glaring at her, repeating his questions vehemently.  
  
Yohji's eyes lock on the girl. The way that she is positioning herself on the bed is a clear indication to anyone that knows her what she is going to do. Taking in a deep breath he yells at the petite blond girl, "Koneko, ni lo piensas. Si lo atrevas, el te va a caer encima y te va a dar ese unico cantaso, que vas a regresar a Puerto Rico con la marca. no, con la bota completita del bastardo diablo peli-colorado ese, Aya, espetado en tu culo. Mentira! Te lo van a tener que sacar quirurgicamente por la boca. Me oyes carajo!!![1]" Breathe in, breathe out and continue, "y despues, yo le voy a tener que caer encima, y mira lo chiquito que soy, y mira lo grande que es el. Puñeta! Y si de una patada el te manda al maldito de mayaguez, imaginate, coño, que me va a pasar? Yo, yo me caigo jodido en Vieques dentro de la jodia base, y ahi me jodi otra vez, carajo, porque me van a pegar como treinta jodios tiros. Ya, por culpa tuya, por meterle una pata' en los huevos a este baka voy a caer otra vez en el hospital, en coma. Y de esa jodienda no regreso, ni lo imaginas carajo.[2]" His hands return to their position on his hips after unconsciously gesturing, accenting each word, including having done a sweeping motion in Aya's direction each time a reference was made about the vengeful red-head.  
  
Tucking legs underneath, and making a delicate hand gesture in the air, Koneko nonchalantly comments, "Neko, que mal pensao tu eres. No le iba a meter una patada en las bolas, le iba a meter una cantaso en las canillas.[3]"  
  
An incredulous look spreads across Yohji's features, his right hand darts up to his forehead, "Peor! Ni le hace efecto. Y aun el te mata, carajo.[4]"  
  
Before the girl can make a comment, Yotan directs his attention to the red- head in question, and switches back into a language that Aya would understand; Japanese. "How dare you?" Jade eyes narrow in aggression as he glowers up at Aya. "She couldn't understand you, and you kept harassing her. Does it make you feel better to intimidate someone smaller than you? Is that what this is about?"  
  
Amethyst eyes focus on the small green-eyed blond. "Iie. It is something else."  
  
"Aya, then what is it about?" looking directly into slitted violet eyes, Yohji waves an arm in the irate redhead's direction, fingertips brush lightly against the material of Aya's sleeve.  
  
A flicker flashes through violet eyes an instant before Aya slams the small blond boy against the wall, violence screaming from behind long lashes. Hands grappling for a grip find their way to Yohji's neck, his thumb pressing against the larynx, forcing him to look up. Something about those jade eyes is painfully familiar. Sorrow, buried deep beneath the surface, accompanied by pain and angst. Further, beyond everything else visible in that ocean of jade, there is loyalty, devotion, trust, admiration and friendship.  
  
Without warning, Ken pulls Aya off of Yohji, letting the smaller boy drop to the floor. The impression of Aya's hand a riot of red around the boy's neck. Kenken, please still be the mother hen that I know you are. Leaning against the wall, Yotan lets his head bob down, in a motion that shows off the mark appearing on his neck. The motion gets the reaction desired, Ken is sitting next to him, making sure that he is okay, and making sure that Aya stays the hell away. Gentle fingers check the area, making sure that no further damage has occurred. Ken thinks that I'm a kid, around Omi's age, maybe younger, but in that general area. Hmm, wonder how he will react when he finds out that I'm still older than everyone else in Weiß, heck, how will he react when he finds out that Koneko is older than me!  
  
"Ken-kun, Aya-kun, tell Omittchi that Koneko and I are going to borrow some of his stuff so we aren't wandering around in sheets. I'm sure that he wont mind, at least I hope he wont." Quickly he glances up at Ken and Aya. "When Omi gets back from school we will sit down and talk, and then is when I will try to answer everyone's questions. Though, you might not like the answers," and how will you react when I tell you that I'm back. What will happen when I tell you that I'm really Yohji Kudou in a different body? Omi, I'm scared of how you will react. Please lend me the strength of your love to go through with this.  
  
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----------------------- [1] Koneko, don't even think about it. If you even attempt it, he is going to kick your ass and he is going to kick you so hard that you will return to Puerto Rico with the imprint. no, Aya's, that red haired devil bastard's, entire boot is going to be shoved up your ass. Hell! They will have to surgically remove it through your mouth. Are you listening to me, damn it!!!  
  
[2] And then, I'm going to have to fight him, and look at how small I am, and look at how big he is. Shit! And if from one kick he will send you straight to damn Mayagüez, imagine, damn it, what will happen to me? Me, I'll land fucked up in Vieques inside the fucking base, and there I'm fucked again, shit, because they will shoot me about thirty fucking times. Great, because you decided to kick this baka in the balls, I'm going to land in the hospital again, in a coma. And, shit, don't even imagine that I'm coming back from that fucking.  
  
[3] Neko, what bad thoughts you have. I wasn't going to kick him in the balls, I was going to kick him in the shins.  
  
[4] Worse! It won't even affect him. Shit, and he would still kill you. 


	11. Unexpected Blow From the Past

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part eleven.  
  
Noir's face is illuminated by the computer screen as he searches for the answers to questions raised by simple curiosity. That is not right, the questions were not tbrought forth by simple curiousity, they were brought to the surface of his mind precisely because of the death of his family. The emerald haired boy is named Erik Vought, and has a german accent, a name and a place so that he can search out the rest of Erik's family. What would he tell Erik's family should he find them? 'Hi, I'm a scientist working on a high security experiment and it seems that we have brought your child back from the dead. I'm sorry, he can only exist inside a containment unit if he wants to have any corporeal form. So I guess that means there is no way for you to see him ever again. Thank you very much.' Oh that would be awful. No, that wouldn't be the proper thing to do, that family has already mourned the loss of a child, why force them to mourn him again?  
  
If he finds anything about the Vought family, then Erik should be told. Erik should know how his family is doing at the very least.  
  
Records, birth and death, all pass by the screen, each being automatically scanned for any information pertaining to what might be Erik's family. Noir is returning from getting another cup of coffee when he sees it flashing on the screen, a birth record for Erik Vought. Sadness flickers across his eyes, Erik would have been 24, only a year younger than himself. Poor kid, to be dead so long and suddenly pulled back kicking and screaming into this wretchedly cruel world.  
  
Cross-referencing the birth record, hoping to find family, a mother and father, brothers and sisters or any family at all, Adrian Noir continues on his little quest.  
  
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Opening the door, Omi enters and looks over at the kitchen table. Yohji used to sit at that table and work on floral arrangements for the next day's delivery. Always a gentle smile on his lips as he greeted and inquired about Omi's day at school. In a languid motion he would then brush the debris of his creations out of the way so that Omi could sit and either talk or work on assignments without interruptions. Dropping his backpack on a chair, he goes to see whether or not their guests have regained consciousness, and to make sure that Aya hasn't killed them.  
  
Just as he sets foot out of the kitchen, he is sure that he can hear people downstairs. From the sound of the voices, it seems that there is at least one female and she seems ecstatic about something. Heading downstairs he can see that Ken there keeping an eye on both blondes. Since Aya isn't anywhere to be seen, he can take that into meaning that he tried to have a few words with one or both of these kids.  
  
The girl is jumping up and down in excitement and pulling the boy along with her. From his limited English all he can really understand is something about an art gallery. "Konnichiwa Ken-kun. Aya kun reacted badly to them, didn't he?"  
  
Yohji breaks away from his friend's enthusiastic celebration and quips in before Ken can answer, "Aya just tried to harass Koneko and strangle me. So Ken locked him in a closet somewhere. If you hear swearing and banging coming from one, don't open it, ok?[1]" Smirking, he looks from Omi to Ken, "Well, I guess that it is time that we all sat down and had that chat, right?" Turning to Koneko, and jumping from Japanese to English, "Koneko, I need to go for a little bit, but you finish up with the preparations for the art exhibition. If you calling card runs out, switch to mine, okay?"  
  
Koneko looks up at Yohji, "No problem," glancing over at Omi still standing on the stairs, a knowing smile jumps to her features, "have fun talking to your friends."  
  
While going up the stairs he throws back at her, "Oy kitty kat, you know I always have fun." Turning his attention back to Omi and Ken, he switches back to Japanese, "Shall we go?"  
  
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A little further research reveals to Noir that Erik Vought is not dead in the conventional sense of the word. There is no record of his death listed anywhere. Finding the records of his parents deaths was rather simple, a car accident, no mystery there. Erik's custody was awarded to his father's brother, a man named Hasuka Vought. Apparently Hasuka died a few years later, gunshot wound through the neck, this happened when Erik would have been about 13. But, no record of Erik's death is listed. A little more research clearly shows that he was employed, by a man in Japan, a man by the name of Takatori.  
  
Maybe the living Erik will be able to tell him who is the 'Erik' that they have imprisoned at this laboratory. A little hacking, thank you Ethan for teaching me so many tricks on the computer, and he has an email address for Erik, or rather Schuldig as he seems to be calling himself now. Hesitation. What if going to this Schuldig person is nothing but a dead-end, or worse, a horrible mistake.  
  
Curiosity pushes Noir a little further, what does this Schuldig look like? Will he look like Erik, or is it just weird coincidence that his search brought him to this individual. That search will have to wait for another day. Work is about to start, and he figured out the wave length combination that would discorporate Erik, now to make sure that everyone else never arrives to that specific combination. Pulling his hair back into a ponytail, he secures it in place with a cloth scrunche and heads of to the laboratory.  
  
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Pulling a chair away from the kitchen table, Yohji recalls all the times that he would sit at this specific spot and wait for Omi to arrive back from class while working on floral arrangements. Hardly thinking about it, he asks, "oy Omi, how was class anyway?"  
  
He can barely react, the tone of voice that boy used sounded just like Yohji. Moving his backpack from the chair and slides into the recently vacated spot. Closing his eyes for a moment to clear his thoughts, he then looks over at the blond boy with jade green eyes, a shade of color eerily identical to Yohji's. Ken enters the room with Aya, who had been practicing with his katana and not thrown in a closet, as the boy had jokingly indicated. Omi waits till everyone is seated before making the first question. "Who are you?"  
  
Yohji looks down at the table before starting to speak, "if I play this like a question and answer game, I know that I'm going to try and evade the truth to try and delude myself again. Even with the three of you sitting here in front of me," sighing, he continues, "Three months ago I would have been able to answer that question without a problem. Three months ago I would have happily told you that my name was Jason Christophe and that my friends called me Neko. But that was before the car accident that put me in the hospital. I've been told that while I was still in a coma, I flat lined." Reaching to the center of the table Yohji picks up a napkin and starts twisting it between long nervous fingers. "It seems that the doctors tried everything but still couldn't get my body to start living again, and shortly after they called a time of death I started breathing again. Still in a coma, but at least my body was functioning on its own again. That night I woke up changed."  
  
"I don't know how or why this happened, but when I woke I had two sets of memories. I made a rational decision, I decided that my second set of memories were delusions created by a mind on the verge of death. There was no way that they could be real, at least that is what I thought then. Problem being that there were and still aren't any emotions attached to my memories as Jason, they are just facts, knowledge, if not, I wouldn't have been able to deal with everyday life." Carefully Yohji puts the remains of the napkin down. "I'm still trying to avoid answering, I'm sorry. I have a world to lose and a world gain with this. I came to Japan to prove that my delusions were delusions and nothing more. Except, everywhere I went something was there to prove that they weren't delusions, and now the three of you in front of me, Aya, Ken and Omi; Abyssinian, Siberian, and Bombay. Weiß Kreuz." Trembling slightly, he leans back in his chair, there's no going back now, "I remember dying in Omi's arms after Crawford shot me in the back. I don't know how or why, all I know is that I'm Yohji."  
  
Almost unconsciously he reaches back and takes another napkin, and starts doodling on it as he continues speaking. "I practically came from the other side of the world to prove to myself beyond a doubt that I am Jason. Only to have everything come flying back at me as I walk around and everything is familiar, even though 'Jason' has never been to Japan. I don't care how much a person surfs the web, there is no way to learn the layout of a city the way that I know it."  
  
Across the table Omi stands up and starts walking towards Yohji, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Shut up."  
  
Shock and surprise. Those are the emotions visible on Yohji's features as he drops the pen he was sketching with and starts to get up as well, the irrational fear of losing Omi again rises to the surface. "Omittchi, what do you."  
  
"I said shut up. As you said, Yohji Kudou died." Cerulean blue eyes smoldering with a silent fury, "He died in my arms! How dare you sit there and claim to be Yohji kun. How dare you even speak to me in such a familiar manner."  
  
"Omi."  
  
No one expected the blow, least of all Yohji. Omi's backhand sends the smaller blonde backwards, falling over the chair that he recently occupied, tumbling to the floor. "Go back to where ever you came from. You are not Yohji. I don't care who you are, I don't care what you know, but if you bother me or my friends again, I will make you regret it." Reaching down, Omi picks up the toppled chair, ignoring Yohji completely. "Do you understand me?"  
  
He can't bring himself to look up into Omi's eye and see the anger that his voice is carrying. Staying on the ground, he just keeps looking at the floor, tears flowing freely from jade eyes. Fists clench from the pain of Omi's hatred. A crazy thought runs haphazardly though his mind. My eyes, why aren't they blue anymore? They used to be blue. Now they are green. Keeping his face turned to the floor he answers Omi. "Hai, I understand Tsukiyono san." He can hear the sound of Omi leaving the room. Aya and Ken are still here.  
  
An open hand extends itself in front of him. Flinching back slightly, he wonders why they stayed behind.  
  
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Walking back into his apartment, Noir pulls the scrunchie out of his hair, letting ebon waves frame his face. Back in the university Chris used to like braiding his hair while studying. Chris once told him to never use rubber bands in his hair since those usually ended up damaging the hair. From then on, if Chris felt like it, guess who got to play with his hair. Not that he ever really minded. It was always comforting to have someone practically petting you for a few hours every day.  
  
Reaching into the refrigerator, he takes a Malta India out, pops the cap off and drinks about half the miniscule bottle before heading over to the computer.  
  
Picking up a cork coaster, Noir sits down in front of the computer and opens up outlook express. Compose new email.  
  
From: noir To: schuldig@bradxschu.org Subject: Erik Vought?  
  
Dear Mr. Schuldig  
  
Who is Erik Vought? I would really like to know.  
  
Thank you, Adrian.  
  
Only after he hits the send button does it occur to him that sending that email might not have been such a good idea. What kind of person refers to themselves as 'guilt' and what kind of email is 'bradxschu.org' anyway?  
  
----------------------- [1] "So Ken locked him in a closet somewhere. If you hear swearing and banging coming from one, don't open it, ok?" = credit for this phrase goes to Nekosandy. Thank you!! 


	12. Lollipops and Butterflies

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part twelve.  
  
  
  
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Hesitantly, Yohji takes the hand offered to him. Wiping away tears with the cuff of his sleeve, he looks up and sees Ken's warm hazel eyes. "So, what are we supposed to call you, Jason, Neko or . . . Yohji?" With the last name tacked on, a smile spreads across Ken's features. Helping Yohji up, he pulls the small blond into a bear hug, lifting the smaller 'boy' off his feet. "It's great to see you again."  
  
A strangled noise comes from Yohji, partially out of shock, but mostly in annoyance of being picked up like a little toy. Straightening out his shirt once his feet are back on the ground, "Thanks Kenken . . . I think."  
  
"Aya, you should try that, it's like hugging a teddy bear!"  
  
Yohji nearly cringes at the thought of Ken swinging him around like that again. Bad enough that he is now so short, okay, maybe not all that bad . . . there are some weird perks to being tiny. But still, it is more than a little disconcerting to be swung around like a little plush toy. Especially in light of the fact that he used to be the tallest here!  
  
Aya merely looks over at Ken, then up at Yohji, as the blonde is practically climbing back into the chair. "How did that girl know our codenames?"  
  
Attention momentarily snaps back to Aya, Yohji looks back down at the table. The crumpled napkin is still sitting there; on it is a sketch of the tattoo that was originally on his shoulder. Sin, when you ever gonna learn. Good question. "Anou, that is a little more complicated, and you won't like the answer." Tapping his index finger on the sketch, he continues. "I can draw and paint now. Well, painting more than drawing."  
  
Amethyst eyes narrow, "that still does not explain why she knows all our codenames."  
  
Sighing heavily, Yohji leans forward cradling his head in his arms. "I was following some advice that Koneko gave me a while back. The fastest way to get something out of your head is to put on something concrete. Transfer it to something outside of yourself." "Omi the Bombay, Ken the Siberian, Aya the Orchid Abyssinian and Yohji the Balinese, those are paintings. Portraits, actually, that I painted while trying to forget who I was really and conform myself into being Jason."  
  
"Who else has seen these . . . Portraits?"  
  
"Everyone in the painting class that I'm enrolled in. As well as my family. Some of my mom's friends as well . . . Not that many people, they are just sitting with my other paintings." Slightly shrugging, Yohji tries not to look directly at Aya, knowing that he may die again soon at the hands of the vengeful redhead. "Though, very few people know the titles of my paintings, if that is of any help."  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
"What? Oh, they are back in Puerto Rico. The only Puerto Ricans crazy enough to come to Japan just for the fun of it would be my group of friends." Yohji pulls himself up so that his head is leaning on one hand, "So, I doubt that anyone else would recognize you from my paintings."  
  
Ken watches as Aya leans back in his chair, to better process the information?  
  
"Aya, Ken," Yohji starts, "I'm curious, why do you believe I'm Yohji, crazy as it sounds? Not that I'm complaining."  
  
Hazel eyes twinkling, Ken points to the sketch. "The tattoo. You put in a detail that no one else would have thought of, you added the scar under the tattoo where Kritiker put in your tracker. Also, there is just something about your attitude, there is something about you that makes me think of a chibi-yotan."  
  
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Omi had stayed by the door for a few moments. Just long enough to hear Ken's greeting to. . . Yohji. Could that really be him? Weirder things have happened. How could he have known to ask about school, and in that particular tone? Jeeze, he even was flirting like Yotan back at the docks. Impossible, impossible, Yohji died, he died in my arms. Yohji is dead.  
  
Going outside, Omi looks up and notices that it is about to start raining. It seems appropriate somehow. Hopping on his bike, ignoring the fact that he has a paper due in a few days for his English class, he heads off towards the cemetery, the sun slowly setting behind him.  
  
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Brad turns on the computer. There is a new email for Schuldig. From a sender that identifies themselves as 'Noir', subject: 'Erik Vought?' Noir, French for the color black. Pushing glasses up, a vision hits him . . .  
  
Bombay, kneeling on the floor holding someone; Tears streaming endlessly from cerulean blue eyes. The cross on the sleeve of the other person's jacket would lead him to believe that it is Yohji. Omi is trying to get a response from the smaller blond, a response of any kind. Somewhere in the distance he can hear screams. They are in a laboratory of some sort. He can hear Ken calling them, "Bombay, what happened to Balinese! What happened to Yohji?" All the young assassin can do is sit there crying and say that Yohji isn't moving . . .  
  
Light flashes across Crawford's glasses. So Weiss is accepting Balinese back without a problem. Now to make sure that they get back Erik before this vision comes true.  
  
Schuldig walks into the room, and drapes his arms across Brad's broad shoulders.  
  
"Schu, it seems that you have mail . . ."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"So you must be pretty busy now. I mean, with taking classes additional to your normal curriculum, right?" Ken asks Yohji.  
  
"Additional classes?" A slight look of puzzlement crosses Yotan's features, "I'm not taking any additional classes. I've had to drop classes to even think about saving my GPA this semester." Looking over at the counter top, Yohji sees a very familiar black backpack, "Ken, can you toss over Koneko's bag, onegai?"  
  
Getting up, Ken reaches over and grabs the black bag, "Wow, you can actually drop classes in high school over in Puerto Rico?"  
  
Taking the bag from Ken, the realization dawns on him. "I'm not a smurf."  
  
"Smurf?"  
  
Casually rummaging through Koneko's bag, where are they . . . "Saa, gomen, there is a group of high schoolers that go to a food court that Koneko and I frequent. Their uniform is blue, so basically most high school kid is referred to as a smurf. At least among specific people." Aha, found them!  
  
Yohji pulls a cherry flavored lollipop out of the bag, removes the cellophane wrapper and pops it into his mouth with a small smile of satisfaction. The lollypop receives a questioning look from Ken and a raised eyebrow from Aya. "I smoked, Jason doesn't. I tried a cigarette and nearly turned green," Yohji makes a face at the memory. "It just makes me feel better to have something in my mouth."  
  
The only response from the stoic redhead is "Ah."  
  
"Yohji," Ken starts, "you shouldn't even be smoking at your age. You are too young for that sort of thing now."  
  
"Anou, Ken-kun," taking the sucker out of his mouth he motions in Ken's general direction, "I hate to ask, but how old do you think I am anyway?"  
  
"Sixteen, maybe seventeen. Why?"  
  
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"Good Morning Erik!" Walking over to one of the main consoles, Noir takes out a screwdriver and a set of needle nose pliers and starts getting to work on this day's sabotage. Taking the screws out of the face plate, he swiftly removes it, and starts removing random wires with the pliers. While working he starts singing a silly little song that he heard not to long ago[1].  
  
"Hey you, say you were a butterfly.  
  
Hey, I see you in a peaceful field . . ."  
  
Another set of wires is gone, nicely pulled out. Red, yellow and green, all gleaming brightly under the fluorescent lights.  
  
"Hey you, say you were a butterfly.  
  
Hey, I see you in a beautiful garden . . ."  
  
Out of his pocket, Noir brings a set of small plastic tubes. The tubes resemble the wires well enough, so that more than a quick visual inspection will be necessary to figure this one out.  
  
"I wanna catch you, catch you, catch you butterfly boy.  
  
I wanna catch you, catch you, catch you butterfly boy . . ."  
  
Attaching the plastic tubes in place, the console looks like it should be in perfect working order. Replacing the faceplate, the console appears normal.  
  
"Tell me tell me tell me tell me where to go  
  
Tell me tell me tell me tell me what to do"  
  
Walking over to the glass containment unit that holds Erik, Noir takes off the lab coat and lays it on the ground so that he doesn't have to sit directly on the floor and sits next to the small captive. Now singing directly to the green haired boy . . .  
  
"Flaming in the hazy sunlight  
  
Dancing in the starlit sky  
  
I can see the pixie dust falling  
  
From the wings of my  
  
Butterfly boy "  
  
Erik is smiling. So much strength in one so small.  
  
"Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me where to go  
  
Tell me, tell me, tell m,e tell me what to do Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me how to get it"  
  
So much that he wants to protect.  
  
"Butterfly boy don't fly away. . ."  
  
So much that has already been lost.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Schuldig's eyes narrow, whether in fury or frustration is unknown, as he reads the simple but straight to the point email message:  
  
'Who is Erik Vought? I would really like to know.'  
  
If Nagi were still alive, this Adrian person would be found in less than a day. After he was found, then they would have all the information necessary to find out where Erik is being kept.  
  
But Nagi was killed in the confrontation with the Salvager team. Looks like they will have to persuade the next best person to help them. Omi Tsukiyono; Weiss kreuz's Bombay.  
  
Adrian, this is the stupidest thing you could have done. You've sent us a beacon brightly shining in the darkness, and it would be an insult for us not to find you now. A smirk spreads across Schuldig's features. Erik, we are coming for you, and nothing will stand in the way. ----------------------- [1] Song is "Butterfly Boy" by Shonen Knife. 


	13. How old is that kitten in the window?

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part thirteen.  
  
Yohji's head nearly hits the tabletop from shock. "I really look about sixteen or seventeen?"  
  
"Wait," suspicion colors Ken's dark eyes. "How old are you?"  
  
Pulling his wallet out of Koneko's purse, Yohji finds his driver's license and tosses it over for Ken to read the birth date. "Read the date under my name. . . It is not written American style. The way that it is read is day, month, and then year." With that said, he waits for Ken's reaction.  
  
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Arriving at the grave, Omi can see several bouquets of flowers; though, there are no cattleyas amongst the various species of flowers. Apparently the girls that frequent the flower shop have been here. The grave is simple, the way that Yohji would have liked. 'Yohji Kudou, Beloved Friend,' is the inscription engraved in the unyielding granite. Somewhere in the distance thunder rumbles; rain beating down everything in its path.  
  
Kneeling at the grave, Omi sweeps some of the wilted petals away from the dark granite. Can it really be true that Yohji is back? Apparently Ken believes that kid is Yotan. Jeeze, that Neko kid looks like he could be younger than me. . . He's definitely shorter. But those eyes. . . Those were pure Yohji.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Ken looks down at the year on the puertorrican driver's license. At first the math doesn't quite add up, it can't be. . . It finally sinks in, "You are 22 years old?!"  
  
"Hai hai," glancing up at the clock, Yohji asks, "Oy, no one here other than Omi has really learned to cook yet, right?"  
  
Raising one delicate fiery eyebrow Aya looks at the small blond, "You cook?"  
  
"Uhm, only with a lot of really good supervision to make sure that I don't set the kitchen on fire," Yohji replies, "but Koneko is a natural in the kitchen."  
  
"That girl. . . Koneko," Ken starts. "She is taking this situation well. In fact, she is taking all of this too well."  
  
"Koneko looks at life with a smile and a giggle, if not she would start screaming." Yohji calmly walks over to the doorway, pokes his head out and calls Koneko, his voice projecting clear and strong, "Oy, Koneko-chan!"  
  
Koneko's response is immediate, matching the volume of Yohji's call, "Haaaaai?" Aya and Ken both unconsciously flinch at the level of noise.  
  
Ten minutes later, Koneko has started cooking and has handed over a small list of things to complete the meal she has plotted out in her head. Neko/Yohji takes the list, looks it over, picks up a pencil and translates it into kana. Looking from Aya to Ken, Yohji hands the list to Aya. Smiling he asks, "Aya~n pick these up please?"  
  
Aya just raises an eyebrow.  
  
Hopping up onto the countertop, Neko cocks his head slightly to the side, "Aya~n, onega~i?" nose wrinkling slightly on the lengthening of the last syllable.  
  
The instant Aya is out of sight, Koneko calmly goes over and removes the roll of paper towels from its wall mount; with a small huff of indignation, she goes up on her tip-toes and smacks Neko over the head with the roll. "Countertops are for food and food preparation, not sitting," she comments to him in English.  
  
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Opening the door, Schuldig climbs into Brad's BMW. The best person to use to track the email that Adrian sent is Weiss's Bombay, and if any of those silly kittens get in his way he will make them regret the day they were born, never mind the fact that they helped him and Brad not that long ago. A smirk spreads across his face; they always knew I was a bastard. Starting the engine Schuldig chuckles slightly as he listens to the car's purring.  
  
Pulling up in front of the flower shop, Schuldig silently scans the minds of those inside. Three people. Ken, Yohji/Neko and Koneko. Aya and Omi are not there. In Yohji's mind he can pick up a lingering sadness. Same with Ken, but Yotan's is more evident. Out of curiosity he probes a little deeper and finds the source of Yotan's heartache, Omi has rejected him. Jeeze, poor kid, (why the h*ll am I calling him a kid?!) he travels so far just to find his lover, only to have that same person reject him. . . not just reject him, Omi struck him and told him in no uncertain words that he wanted nothing to do with him. That is harsh.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Jumping down from the countertop, Yohji goes over and picks up a coffee mug. With 'coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee' practically chanting through his head he pours himself a cup. Practically beaming, since he saw that the coffee used was his favorite brand from when he used to live here, he takes a sip and. . .  
  
Ken was not all that enthusiastic when he got sprayed with coffee after Yohji's reaction to his initial taste of Japanese coffee. The dark haired assassin gives Yohji a dirty look as the small blonde is getting some water to remove what he considers an offending taste from his mouth.  
  
"Que'en cara'[1]. . . Ken-kun, what is wrong with this coffee?"  
  
Koneko reaches over, takes the cup from Neko's hand and takes a sip. Thankfully she reaches the sink before spitting the coffee out. "Puñeta! Y yo pensaba que el café americano era malo[2]. . . .  
  
"Ahem, Neko-kun," Ken starts in japanese, "I hate to point this out, but that is the same brand of coffee that you used to always drink," "and what was it that your friend said just now?"  
  
"Oh, Koneko was just commenting on how she had always thought that American coffee was bad," let's just not include her cute little explertives thank you very much, "but this can't be the same brand that I used to drink. Strained water would taste better than this stuff."  
  
"Haha, Neko. . . It is the same one, Omi decided that this was the coffee that we would buy, and who is going to argue with him when he has his mind set on something?" Reaching into the cabinet Ken pulls out a canister of coffee and tosses it to Yohji.  
  
Catching the canister, a sad thought crosses his mind. No wonder Omi rejected me. No matter how much like his Yotan I might seem; there are still so many differences between who I was, and who I am now. I can't even enjoy my favorite coffee anymore. A slight tug on his sleeve brings Yohji out of his thoughts. Koneko-chan.  
  
As if puppets with their strings cut, Ken, Yohji and Koneko drop to the floor without a word.  
  
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Stepping out of the (illegally parked) car, Schuldig reaches out with his mind and overloads the consciousness of the three individuals inside the building.  
  
Smirking slightly, Schuldig finds his way to the kitchen and kneels next to Yohji's unconscious form. Tracing a fingertip along the line of Yohji's jaw, he thinks to himself that the boy got the wrong nickname; he looks more like a kitten than a cat. Something this small and sweet looking should not be allowed to have claws. Hmmph, if Bombay still rejects him, Crawford and I should probably welcome this delicate creature with open arms and a little mental manipulation to make him more susceptible to our suggestions. Carefully he picks up the small blond and carries Yotan to the car parked outside.  
  
Placing Yohji in the backseat, Schu binds the boy's hands behind his back with only a whimper of discomfort coming from Yotan's unconscious form as he is pulled into the uncomfortable position. After a moments consideration Schuldig gags him as well, just to be safe in case he should wake before finding Omi. Locking the car door behind him, Schuldig goes back in to get the girl and return her to her friends, and to make sure that the police are not called on account of the missing people.  
  
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----------------------- [1] Que'en cara' shortened form of "Que en el carajo" which loosely translates as "What in the hell"  
  
[2] Puñeta! Y yo pensaba que el café americano era malo . . . translates as: Shit! And I thought that American coffee was bad. . . .  
  
Side note: The comments made about the coffee is based upon my personal opinion of american coffee and comments that have been made to me about japanese coffee. I'm not trying to insult the american coffee industry. . . . and for you coffee enthusiasts, try some puertorrican coffee, Cafe Crema and Yaucono are good ones, though the absolute best of the best is Alto Grande (actually being sold in Japan under the name Grand Lares as a luxury item in prestigious stores and boutiques!). 


	14. The long drive to exchange a kitten

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part fourteen.  
  
"So you're a distant cousin of Neko, err, I mean Jason?"  
  
Schuldig lets his vision momentarily fall to the small blonde girl that asked the question, Koneko wasn't it? "Yes, I heard that he was going to be in this area. So I just had to see him."  
  
In his peripheral vision he can see the girl shift around in her seat to look back at Yohji, a few strong mental suggestions make her see him sleeping peacefully, instead of bound and gagged. Her mind had practically offered up the suggestion of Schuldig being a distant family member, and it made some kind of twisted logic. After all, according to the information in the girl's mind, the kid has at least one fourth german blood.  
  
Twisting around again, Koneko is sitting forward in the passenger seat and attentively watching the passing scenery. A low throbbing headache dances across her mind, after effect of the overload. Without a second thought Koneko brings a small pill case from her purse, takes a small white pill out and starts sucking on it.  
  
An eyebrow twitches when Schuldig sees the amount of pills the girl is carrying with her. He only managed to see a few, but there were at least a few blue and white capsules, white tablets, ivory half pills. . . "You carrying a pharmacy in there?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, you mean these?" Koneko asks as she holds the pill case in plain sight. "Everything in here is prescribed for me by my doctor." A small sad smile settles in place at the memory of a visit to her latest doctor, followed by a quiet voice echoing the same question that she had asked the specialist . . . 'I'm going to have to take these for the rest of my life, aren't I?'  
  
Reaching over, Schu ruffles her hair, "kid, s'okay, I just was commenting that you had a lot of pills there. You just want to make sure that you are never caught without your medication."  
  
Parking the car (legally, the girl would have a fit if otherwise), Schuldig walks Koneko into the hotel . . .  
  
A little while and mental manipulation later, he walks back out carrying Yohji's drag-a-long. Laughing at the memory of how the girl had actually meowed when one of her friends had dragged her into a headlock, relieved to see her well, and also worried about Neko. As soon as the questioning started, the attention was turned to him when he was introduced as 'Jason's' cousin. Nice group of kids.  
  
Popping the trunk, he pitches the suitcase in the back of the car.  
  
"Schuschu!"  
  
What the?  
  
Looking back, he sees Koneko dashing out of the hotel carrying a small yellow package. "Schuschu," breathlessly she catches up to him on short little legs. "For when Neko wake up. This is good coffee," she says handing the coffee packet over, "at least is better than coffee from flower shop people."  
  
Taking the coffee, Schuldig is surprised when the girl leans in quickly and gives him a small peck on the cheek. What the heck was that?! Nothing in her mind had even hinted that she would do such a thing. Okay Yohji, that is one thing you are going to have to explain. Shutting the trunk, he goes over and transfers the unconscious bundle from the back seat of the car to the passenger seat and buckles him securely in.  
  
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It's way past visiting hours, but the nurses don't say anything as Noir moves past them. He's a regular visitor at all hours and all the nurses have seen him by now. Noir tries to show up to see his nephew at least once a day, though work won't always allow for that.  
  
Walking into the room, Noir notes that the nurses have been watering the flowers for him. Looking at the bed, Nate still hasn't made any response since the accident. A pang of guilt stabs at Adrian's heart, I was the one driving, it should be me there and not you. . . you are just a kid, just like Erik. Neither of you did anything to deserve what happened to you.  
  
Picking up a children's book from the table, he begins to read aloud, letting his clear voice resonate through the room and spilling into the hallways where the nurses give slight pause to think about the doll of a man that visits the child everyday.  
  
Later one of the nurses on night shift walks into the room carrying a blanket. He fell asleep here again. Carefully she drapes the blanket over the sleeping man and steps back. Leaning forward she pulls a lock of hair out of his face and then goes back to attend the unmoving form of the child. The child who cannot even breathe on his own, what kind of life is that? Where you cannot laugh or feel the sunlight on your skin . . .But the, what kind of life is it when the last person you care for is trapped within their own body?  
  
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Omi is about to get on his bike to leave the cemetery when he sees an expensive black BMW pull up near him, right under a no parking sign. "Bombay, get in the car."  
  
"Schuldig!" Taking a hesitant step back, Omi looks at the red-haired German apprehensively. Last time they met Schuldig had helped save them, what is he up to now? The sound of a gun cocking calls Omi's full attention back to the driver of the car.  
  
"I told you to get in the car or I kill your little boyfriend here." A muffled complaint is heard when the nozzle of a fully loaded gun gets pushed under Yohji's chin; forcing his head back and accentuating the sensuous neck line.  
  
Opening the car door, Omi climbs into the backseat. "He is not my boyfriend."  
  
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Okay, this is the first time that I put a response to review at the end of a ficcie. . . but what the hey, there is only one at the moment.  
  
Gale, you are the second person to request this turning into a Brad+Schu/Yohji. The first person to request it was Nekosandy. As for Erik, basically he looks like Schuldig at age 5, only he has green hair and golden eyes instead of red hair and green eyes (okay, anime schu has blue eyes, but mine has green eyes.). 


	15. Caught Between a Shower and a Hard Place

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part fifteen.  
  
Omi looks at the blond boy sitting in front of him in the car's passenger seat. Bound and gagged, the boy looks like he wishes to be anywhere but sitting there. It's obvious that he is making sure not to make eye contact. So Omi just sits there, watching Yohji (not Yohji, that is not him, that is Jason) gazing forward, looking into nothingness.  
  
Damn, just sitting there like that, there is a feeling about that boy, an unknown sadness that can be seen just below the surface of those jade eyes. Why did is eyes have to look just like Yotan's . . .  
  
"Because he is Yohji." A nasally voice says, pulling Omi from his thoughts. Both Jade and Cerulean eyes fix themselves on the driver, jade quickly darting away to stare up at the sky again. "Erik is back as well."  
  
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Returning from the impromptu shopping trip, Aya walks back into the kitchen carrying the bags and trips over the still unconscious form of Ken. Turning his head, Aya glares back at whatever tripped him. If looks could kill, Ken would have been reduced to nothing more than a pasty substance on the floor.  
  
Getting up, Aya goes over and checks to see if his lover is all right. Slowly he is able to rouse the dark haired man. Blue eyes blink up at him innocently, and Aya loses himself momentarily in the depths of those eyes. "What happened?"  
  
"Huh?" Looking around, Ken pulls himself up off the floor. "Where are Yohji and Koneko?!"  
  
"I walked in and you were on the floor.[1]"  
  
"Last thing I remember was standing here. Yohji and Koneko were over by the stove, talking to each other in Spanish and English[2]. Then she turned the stove off, moved the pan to a back burner and turned to face Yohji." Rubbing his temples, Ken continues. "Yohji put his hand to his forehead with a pained expression, same with Koneko. After that the next thing I remember is you waking me up."  
  
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Reaching over, Schuldig releases the seatbelt buckle for Yohji, and goes around the car to get the small blond out of the car. Reluctantly Omi opens his door and steps out of the car as well. A muffled protest calls Omi's attention back to Yohji. Schuldig is carrying him, still bound and gagged, as though he were a baby, the protest vocalized mostly towards the concept of his being carried in such a manner.  
  
Footsteps can be heard echoing through the parking garage. The moment Crawford steps into view Yohji freezes. "You brought Yohji with you," Brad comments in English.  
  
Schuldig glances at the apprehensive boy cradled in his arms. "Yeah. It seemed the best way to convince Bombay to come along." "Besides, he was just too adorable to leave behind."  
  
Looking back and forth from the two men and the captive boy, Omi wonders what the next move will be. He can barely understand a word that they are saying, why do they have to speak in English!  
  
"Bombay, there's a bag in the trunk. Bring it with you." Schuldig tells the genki assassin in Japanese. Turning back to Brad, he adds, "and the little girl handed me a package for the kitten when he wakes. It's in the glove compartment."  
  
Annoyed, Brad walks over to his BMW, pops the trunk for Omi and then takes the package from the virtually immaculate glove compartment. Barely glancing back at Omi, he instructs him to follow them as the walk back through the parking garage and into their home.  
  
Once inside Yohji is taken to a spare room, the room that would have belonged to Nagi had he survived his final encounter while protecting Brad and Schuldig. Trailing behind Schuldig, Omi watches as the red haired man drops his captive onto the freshly made bed and unties him. With his arms finally free Yohji reaches up quickly and removes the gag from his mouth. "Puñeta, pero tu realmente eres un hijo de la gran[3]. . ."  
  
The words die on the tip of Yohji's tongue when he sees Omi standing somewhat hesitantly behind Schuldig. Instantly his eyes drop to the bag that Omi is toting. "Oy, is that my bag?"  
  
Smirking, Schuldig answers, "Yep, it is. I told your friends that I was your cousin and that you would be staying with me a few days while you are here and they packed it up for you."  
  
"You told them I'm your WHAAAT!"  
  
"Cousin" Turning his attention to Omi, Schuldig takes the bag and lays it across the end of the bed, "Chibi, you can wash up in the bathroom down the hall and I can lend you something dry to wear till your clothes dry. My stuff will fit you like a tent, but it is better than wandering around damp and catching a cold."  
  
"Oy, I think that Omittchi is closer to my size," Yotan comments as he pulls the carry on closer to himself and opening it to inspect the assortment of clothing that his friends packed for him. Before Omi can say anything Yohji pulls out a set of cargo pants and a black shirt. "I know that you don't really want much contact with me, but at least my clothes won't hang down to your knees like Schuldig's will," with that he tosses over the clothing that he pulled out for Omi. Looking down at the clothes that he is wearing, Yohji adds, "Besides, it's only fair considering that I took your clothes back at the koneko."  
  
Schuldig steps in before anything else can be said, "Bombay, the bathroom is down the hall, first door to the right. Go." Looking back at Yohji still sitting on the bed, now sitting with his legs tucked beneath him making him appear very much like his namesake, a neko, "You get changed, you'll feel better after you are in your own clothes. I'll be waiting outside . . . Unless you would rather I stay in here to help you out a little?" Schuldig adds as he runs a finger down Yohji's arm causing a shiver to run up the smaller boy's spine. A nasally laugh and a smirk accentuates the action.  
  
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Omi walks down the hallway and into the bathroom. That really is Yohji, he thinks to himself as he drops the clothing onto the tank of the toilet. Reaching into the American style shower he turns the water on. Undressing, he steps into the warm spray; just letting the water beat against his body. How far did Yohji come to find out the truth? I hit him, and he's still trying to care for me. Closing his eyes, Omi leans into the water, just feeling the way it falls into his face, not too hard, not too gentle.  
  
My Yohji came back to me, and I'm going to lose him again when he leaves to wherever he has to go.  
  
A light knock at the door pulls Omi from his thoughts, two distinct taps. Pushing hair out of his eyes Omi calls out, "It's open."  
  
Hesitantly the door opens and Neko, no, Yohji steps into the room, head hung down so he can avoid looking in Omi's direction. In his hand there is a towel, which he drops on top of the clothes he had just loaned to Omi.  
  
Pushing the shower curtain a little out of the way, Omi peeks out at Yohji. Cerulean blue eyes admire the blonde in front of him. Long blond hair is loose and falls gracefully over his shoulders, jade green eyes are partially hidden behind golden locks. Did Yohji leave his hair loose on purpose to make eye contact even more difficult to achieve? Omi's fingertips itch to reach over and run through that hair.  
  
He is so much smaller than I am; he looks like he would fold up as easily as a kitten in my embrace. "Yohji."  
  
Jade eyes lock on Cerulean. The difference in height forcing the smaller boy to tilt his head up, a silent question lays on slightly parted lips as Yohji faces . . . Omi.  
  
No warning is given as Omi reaches out and pulls Yohji towards himself; one hand firmly at the back of his neck, and the other curling around his waist, pulling Yotan up, forcing him onto tiptoes to keep balance. A gasp of surprise is the only invitation that Omi needs before locking onto that sweet little mouth[4].  
  
A slight halfhearted struggle is all he gave before giving himself up for lost when Omi kissed him. Part of him continues to struggle against new and completely unfamiliar sensations, while the rest revels in the strength pinning him. Closing his eyes, he tilts his head slightly and feels a hand move to caress his cheek.  
  
'Lollypops... he tastes like cherry lollypops,' Omi thought, his hand moving from Yohji's cheek down to his chest and further, seeking the hem of his shirt. Slipping his hand up under the soft gray shirt Omi locates one small hard and sensitive nipple. Omi who has yet to relinquish possession over Yohji's mouth swallows the low moan emitted by the smaller boy.  
  
A loud knock at the door, three distinct raps, pull their attention away from each other and a pair of dirty looks are shot in the direction of the door.  
  
"Yohji come out of there now," the doorknob turns, revealing a rather irate Brad Crawford on the other side. "The two of you are not making-out until we have the information we want." Entering the small room, Brad pulls Yohji out of Omi's arms and forces him out into the hallway.  
  
----------------------- [1] You tripped over him, but that is beside the point.  
  
[2] This is known as Spanglish. You speak half English, and half Spanish or you use the grammatical structure of one language in the other. "Hola, how are you?" and "Open me the door" are good examples of this.  
  
[3] "Puñeta, pero tu realmente eres un hijo de la gran. . ."= "Shit, you really are a son of a . . ."  
  
[4] Of course his mouth is sweet . . . he ate a lollypop not that long ago. 


	16. Creating Chaos! Affectionate Neko

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part sixteen.  
  
Omi sits at the computer, squirming somewhat uncomfortably. It wouldn't be so bad if Schuldig would stop with the narrative running through the back of his mind, and yes, I can see very well how Yohji is sucking on that lollipop. Glaring in the direction of the red head currently sitting on the couch puts Yohji out of his peripheral vision. How can Yohji just sit there drawing?  
  
/Tunnel vision chibi. He really isn't noticing anything other than what he is drawing. Kind of interesting to peek in at his mind like this./  
  
Really? What is he drawing that he is paying so much attention to?  
  
/You./  
  
Looking directly at Yohji, cerulean meets jade, and the pencil stops gliding across the paper and Yohji blinks. An instant passes before jade eyes re-focus on the world around him, an instant he needs to reconnect with the rest of the world.  
  
Shaking off the state of mind he had gone into to draw, Yohji asks, "How is the search going?" Putting the drawing tablet and pencil down, he heads over to take a look at the computer monitor.  
  
"Mou, I'm not having any luck finding this guy," Omi complains. "Wherever this email came from, they really don't want anyone to trace them." "Hey! What are you doing?"  
  
Yohji tries to look innocent and almost succeeds, "Who, me? Nothing." Taking advantage of his small size, he climbs into the chair Omi is sitting in, and promptly wraps arms and legs around the previous occupant. Tucking his chin on the shoulder that is conveniently in front of him, he comments, "guess that I can fit in the chair with you."  
  
/Wish the positions were reversed and the two of you were doing something a lot more entertaining./  
  
Giving a mental sigh, Omi thinks really hard how he wishes that Schuldig would just shut up and get out of his head. A nasally laugh is the only response his wishing gets.  
  
Crawford walks into the room. "Yohji, get out of that chair, you're distracting him." Before climbing out of the chair Yohji gives Omi a quick hug and a small kiss to the back of his neck, causing a shiver to run up Omi's spine.  
  
/You thought that he was affectionate before . . ./  
  
"Schuldig, shut up already. Yes, I'm ecstatic that Yohji is back. Yes, I think that he looks damn sexy now, but I also thought that before. Yes, watching him sucking on that lollypop is damn distracting, especially considering what else he could possibly do with his mouth." A bright blush spreads across Omi's features as soon as he realizes exactly what he has just said out loud.  
  
Shaking his head slowly, Brad looks over at the smaller blond. "Yohji, first door on the right is the kitchen. Get yourself something and you can eat it at the table in there."  
  
Opening his mouth to say that he would rather stay there and be with Omi; as if on cue, Yohji's stomach growls slightly. "First door on the right you say?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
/Brad, there a reason you're chasing Balinese away?/  
  
Light glints off of Crawford's glasses. /Just a suspicion, but I don't want to take any chances./  
  
/Care to share?/  
  
/How well is Kudou anchored in that body?/  
  
/Seems that he has a pretty solid hold on it. I haven't heard a peep of the original personality, if the original owner is still even in there at all./  
  
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Flipping the light switch to the 'on' position, light floods the room as Yohji steps into the kitchen. Darn it, why did Schuldig have to kidnap me before I could eat back at the flower shop. Rummaging through cabinets Yohji searches for something that he can cook and not bring the entire building down around them in flames. Koneko would know what to prepare, then again, she has been cooking since the seventh grade. Holding up a container of star fruit paste he smirks, even she would have no clue what to do with this, and puts the item back in the refrigerator.  
  
Pulling out some lunchmeats, American cheese slices, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, Yohji sets out on the task of making a sandwich for himself.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Yohji spots the familiar bright yellow and red packet of coffee. Glancing around the room, he searches for the coffee maker. Aha, making a mental note of the fact that the coffee maker is sitting at the end of the counter he finishes up with his sandwich. Walking over, he snatches the package of Café Crema and puts a pot on to brew.  
  
Standing there munching on his sandwich waiting for the coffee to finish, memories of the seventh grade float through his mind. Kind of fun reminiscing about high school experiences, when he had been kicked out of the house at such an early age and never had the chance to even come close to completing his education. Snatches of memories flitter through his mind; hanging out in the schoolyard goofing off with friends, walking on a path that ran behind the school connecting it to the hospital where the cafeteria was . . . yelling at someone across the school to get their attention . . . watching Koneko (but she wasn't Koneko then, she was given that name years later) slowly retreating into herself as she was being burned out by exhaustion, watching as she walked to school from the hospital every morning. It seemed that for a while she had forgotten what it was to smile, but with her problems she didn't need one. Every day, in every class, for every prayer (small school[1], and everyone knew everyone else) she always made the same request . . .  
  
The buzzer on the coffee maker draws Yohji back to the present. After quickly finishing up the sandwich he pours himself a cup of coffee, leaving it black.  
  
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The smell of freshly brewed coffee filters out to the office where the others are. Yohji's entrance to the room is preceded by a slight creaking of door hinges, glancing over at the monitor he can conclude that the search still hasn't turned anything useful up. Sitting back down at his earlier position, he takes up his sketchbook and continues to work on the drawing that he had started earlier. It only takes a few moments to detach himself from his surroundings and focus only on forms rather than meaning, taking dominance from the left side of his brain and giving free reign to the right side, and sinks back into what Schuldig had called 'tunnel vision'.  
  
Without warning, Crawford announces that they should all get some sleep considering the hour. The hand clasping on his shoulder is what startles Yohji back into full alertness with a slight jump. A wide-eyed look is given to the tall American standing behind him, somewhat annoyed at being startled that way.  
  
"Omi will be able to better continue his search after he has been able to rest properly." Crawford comments in a flat matter of fact voice.  
  
Pulling himself into a better sitting position, Schuldig looks over at Brad, "Awe Brad, why did you have to jog the little kitten while he was drawing?"  
  
Yohji looks over at Schuldig, still trying to get his verbal skills back, trying to put the left side of his brain[2] back in charge, but manages to give the tall red-head a questioning look before the German continues.  
  
"The mental white noise that he makes while working like that is so soothing," Schuldig practically purrs out, "yet another good reason to keep him here as a little pet. Can we?"  
  
Almost glaring Yohji's eyes narrow, "Schuldig, I would throw this coffee cup at you if it weren't a waste of good coffee." Gently he takes a sip of the coffee as if to illustrate his point.  
  
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Her head is pounding as she walks through Neko's house. She knows that she is dreaming, there is no way that she could really be there, considering that she is in Japan at the moment. A noise draws Koneko's attention to the dinner table.  
  
Alichino is standing in the middle of the table.  
  
Something is wrong. His left eye is completely gone, leaving a gaping hole in the socket. The remaining eye is Amber. Alichino's eyes are supposed to be light blue. What is wrong with him?  
  
Alichino meows. That doesn't sound like a meow, that doesn't sound like Alichino. A voice is heard under and woven through the cat's meow.  
  
Tears run down Koneko's cheeks. Pain flares up through her mind as the voice begins to take form. This is a dream; I'm not supposed to feel pain.  
  
Waking up in a cold sweat, Koneko looks around in the dark. Light filtering in through a curtained window gives the room an ethereal quality. I'm in Japan. Instinctively she reaches over to the night table to take the pills prescribed for this situation.  
  
Pills and pills and pills . . . I'm always taking pills for everything. Always being prescribed pills for everything. Memory flits back to when she was accompanying her mom in the hospital, and remembers the last day there that the doctors started giving her pills. It was only a couple of pills at first, but now it seems that she is constantly taking pills. Pills to relax, pills to relieve aches, pills for her headaches, anti-inflammatory pills, pills for her attention span, pills to sleep, and pills to regulate the chemical levels in her brain.  
  
With a sad look, she lets the pills slip through her fingers and back into the bottle. Not tonight, I don't need these tonight.  
  
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Halfway across the world, Alichino stands on the dining table and meows in annoyance.  
  
-----------------------  
  
[1] Not only was it a small school, it was also a religious school.  
  
[2] Left side of the brain handles all the language and verbal skills. Right side handles all the visual . . . 


	17. Other Side of the World, Trouble for Bla...

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part seventeen.  
  
Slowly jade eyes open. The world around seems to be halfway in focus. Blinking, Yohji wonders why his vision is not correct. Getting up into a sitting position something slips from his cheek to the pillow. A closer look at the item reveals why the world is so blurry. During the night one of his contacts had split in two and luckily had fallen out. Pushing the covers back, he wonders what to do now. Did the girls pack up any extra lenses or his glasses in the overnight bag?  
  
Crawling across the bed, he grabs the little drag-along and hauls it up to the bed to rummage through. In one of the pockets Yohji finds the empty lens compact that Koneko had given him for the trip. No contact lenses are better than just one, he muses, that way I won't be straining my eyes and giving myself a killer headache. Squirting a little saline solution into the small compartment, he removes the remaining lens and puts it away in the case for safekeeping. With the final lens gone, the world around him is reduced to inescapable blurriness. Sighing, he continues to paw through the rest of the items sent.  
  
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Crawling out from underneath Aya's protective embrace, Ken pads over to Omi's room to see if the small blond had returned unnoticed during the night. No such luck. Frowning, he looks over at the genki assassin's computer and switches it on.  
  
Password . . .  
  
What would Omittchi's password be? Taking a chance, he types in: Balinese.  
  
Incorrect password.  
  
Scratching his chin, he takes another guess: Yohji. The sweet chimes surprise Ken as the computer starts up. Moving the mouse pointer to the start button, he navigates his way to the search field to look for the tracking program.  
  
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Walking out of the room, Yotan silently curses the fact that he wasn't able to find his glasses in the bag. Trailing fingertips across the wall so that he doesn't trip over anything major, he finds his way back to the kitchen for some breakfast. If they went through the trouble of kidnapping him, they'd better darn well not be expecting that he not rifle through the refrigerator when he gets hungry.  
  
Holding onto the doorframe, he pokes his head into the kitchen before entering and sees a short blond haired person in the room. Taking a chance on the fact that Omi is the only other short person at the moment in this place, "Ohaiyo Omittchi!"  
  
"Ohaiyo Yohji," is the response from the blurred form. Turning, Yohji can see a hint of blue where Omi's eyes should be. Smiling, he heads right to Omi.  
  
Wrapping his arms around the younger boy's lithe form, he gently nuzzles at Omi's neck; feeling a lot better now that he is close enough to make out Omi's features again. Carefully, he manoeuvres them into one of the chairs. Squirming slightly, Omi manages to straddle Yotan's lap and pulls back slightly to look down at the smaller blond.  
  
One hand caresses his cheek while the other runs idly through his hair pulling out the band that had been holding it in a loose ponytail. Yohji can feel his hair cascading around his face; delicate fingers push it out from his eyes before he can release Omi. One of Omi's hands moves to the base of his neck, holding him in place as the cerulean-eyed boy leans down and begins plundering his mouth.  
  
Yohji's hands begin to move up under the hem of Omi's shirt as the younger boy all but violates his mouth with an eager tongue. The sound of clapping draws their attention, and Yohji wishes death on Schuldig when he sees the telltale bright orange hair. Still not letting go of the beautiful boy in his lap, he rests his head on Omi's shoulder and looks over at Schuschu with an annoyed expression on his face. Half of his attention on the nearly panting body next to his, and half his attention on the person that he is certain is smirking at them.  
  
"Keep going, the two of you are just too cute together," Schuldig comments as he pulls out what Yohji would assume is a coffee container. Sniffing a little confirms that it is coffee.  
  
"Use the coffee in the yellow package, Café Crema," Yotan remarks as he lightly nuzzles Omi. "It is better than that stuff." He quits nuzzling after receiving a quick swat and Omi untangles himself from Yohji's arms and climbs out of his lap.  
  
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They are starting to suspect, Noir thinks as he walks into the lab. A better name for the room would be torture chamber for all the harm that they are doing to this child. Placing his hand on the cool glass the thought runs through his mind, I want to protect you the way I couldn't protect him.  
  
A feeling of love, warmth and comfort suddenly floods his being. Without warning, a small voice says in his mind . . .  
  
/I like you too, Addy./  
  
Pulling his hand away, as though burned, Adrian looks at the bright-eyed boy being held within the glass cage. "Was that you talking to me?" he asks in a whisper. A smile and a nod are his response.  
  
"How did you do that?"  
  
Silence. Erik presses his hands against the glass and mouthes the words, 'Touch the glass.' Hesitantly Adrian presses his hands against the glass.  
  
/I can only talk like this./  
  
"Why do I hear you in my mind?"  
  
/It's called tele. . . tele. . . tele-pathy/ Adrian smiles as the small boy stumbles a little over the large word. A thought occurs to him. How did he know Erik's name.  
  
/Because I wanted you to know./  
  
Huh? I never heard you before now.  
  
/I'm a little stronger now, so now you can hear me, but I could always hear your thoughts and feelings./  
  
Who is Schuldig?  
  
Images of a certain redhead pop into Noir's mind. Schuldig, vicious, mean, violent contrast with a caring person, a person that would play and comfort, a loving person, a person that he keeps hidden underneath all the anger and bitterness. //I miss Schuschu.//  
  
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Putting the coffee cup down, Schuldig freezes. Someone is thinking about him. Not just thinking about him, someone is on the psychic plane thinking about him. Letting his eyes slide half shut he searches out whoever it is.  
  
Suddenly he is looking through two sets of eyes and surrounded by feelings of comfort. He is looking up at a dark haired man. He is looking down at Erik. Erik! Without hesitation he plunges into the mind before him. //WHERE IS ERIK!//  
  
Instants before the dark haired man is thrown into oblivion, Schuldig would have sworn that he heard Erik call out a name . . . Addie.  
  
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Erik can only watch as Adrian reacts to Schuldig psychically lashing out. He watches as the dark haired man's back arches as though a current has just been released into him, and his eyes roll back and he collapses unconscious to the ground without another sound. Leaving Erik screaming his name. ADDIE!!!  
  
Erik pounds on the glass as the mean people enter the room. One of them looks down at Adrian's body lying on the ground helpless, and Erik would swear that he saw a look of lust pass through the eyes of the large blond American. As that look passes, Erik has to suppress a shiver, and he suddenly finds himself worried over the safety of his friend.  
  
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Responses to Reviews:  
  
Soulshadow, thank you. . . I hope that putting two chapters at the same time makes up for my not posting for such a long while.  
  
Gale, I told Nekosandy what you said in your review, she thanks you greatly for what you said. At the moment Nekosandy has an unfinished prequel to the Fractured Futures Trilogy . . . I've read part of it, and I love it (actually I'm waiting to see when she finishes it). At the moment I'm sorely tempted to upload the un-beta-ed chapter 18. . . just to see the reactions. I've read at least one too many 'evil brad' ficcies lately and it has affected a few chapters of New Dawn. 


	18. Through a Broken Lens, Blurred

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
Warning, I've read one too many 'Evil Brad' fics. . . I'll try for next time my muse not getting so carried away with being herself. Apologies to all the Brad fans out there. Sorry.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part eighteen.  
  
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Frustrated, Omi continues to work at the computer . . . wishing death on Brad Crawford. He tries not to glare at the man sitting calmly behind him reading an imported copy of the Wall Street Journal. An unsettling bump can be heard from the hallway, followed by what Omi would assume is cursing. Yohji walks into the living room rubbing his forehead, his eyes bright with unshed tears.  
  
Sighing, Brad doesn't even bother looking up from his paper. "Yohji, stop right now."  
  
Dreamy jade green eyes look in Crawford's direction, but not into those determined eyes. His lip twitches, marking his unvoiced question . . . Realizing that the American doesn't understand the gesture, he vocalizes it, "What is it?"  
  
Holding up two fingers, "How many fingers am I holding up?"  
  
Letting a smirk spread across his mouth, Yohji answers. If I'm wrong, it'll look like I'm being sarcastic. "Four."  
  
"You really can't see how many fingers I am holding up can you. The same as you didn't see the door you walked into in the hallway, or the chair you are going to trip over should you take one step forward." Brad comments. "How bad is your eye sight really?"  
  
The smirk drops off of Yohji's features. Testing, he moves his knee forward slightly, and finds the arm of the chair. Slowly his lower lip pushes out as a small pout replaces the smirk.  
  
"How bad is it Yohji?"  
  
"Worse than yours," is the flippant reply.  
  
Another sigh escapes the American. "I assume that before you were using contact lenses. What happened to them?"  
  
"Never assume anything," a playful expression replaces Yohji's pout, "you'll make an ass out of you and me."  
  
Without warning Brad gets up, annoyed beyond even speaking, four good steps close the gap between him and the small blond. Yohji is barely given an instant to try and escape before his upper arm is grabbed none too gently by the man towering over him. A slight yelp escapes his lips as his arm is yanked upwards almost causing him to lose balance.  
  
Omi is about to get up to help Yohji, but a frigid glare from Crawford glues him to his seat.  
  
"Shut up," Brad all but growls at Yohji as he shoves the smaller boy through the hallway. //Schuldig, keep Omi in the living room.//  
  
Schuldig calmly walks into the living room while peeking into Brad's mind and sees what the American intends to do . . . //Fine, just don't hurt Yotan too badly. We don't need Bombay getting too overprotective and trying to kill us just yet.//  
  
Yohji is thrown into his room, and promptly his legs tangle in the suitcase causing him to land on the floor slightly dazed. Brad steps in, closing and locking the door behind him as he removes his belt. "If you are going to act like some misbehaved child, then I shall treat you as such."  
  
"Jodete, Cabrón[1]."  
  
Calmly Brad steps out of the way of Yohji's leg as the small boy tries to kick him and then backhands the blond so that the force of he blow throws him against the side of the bed.  
  
There are three seconds before Yohji can get his bearings again. It only takes Brad two of those seconds to sit and drag Yohji into his lap. On the third is when the belt first strikes Yohji, causing him to cry out, more from surprise and shock than actual pain.  
  
Squirming, Yohji yells at the larger man, "Let me go!" That is the last coherent thing that the blond is able to say before Brad lays into him, belt lashing, not letting up even for an instant. Not even escaping from Brad's lap makes the American ease on his assault.  
  
Now the lashings land anywhere and everywhere on the small frame. Before they had simply been confined to his backside. Red angry welts begin forming on arms, legs and chest.  
  
//BRAD!!!// Schuldig screams in Brad's mind, //Knock it off!!! You are seriously going to hurt him!!!//  
  
A moments hesitation from Brad is all Yotan needs to slide himself under the bed out of the larger man's reach.  
  
//You've just scared the kid out of his wits, and now he's under the bed. This entire situation is really getting to you, isn't it?// Schuldig gives a mental sigh, //It isn't Yotan's fault that he is here and not Erik. I want Erik back even more than you do, and I'm not in that room fucking beating up someone that is weaker than me. Hell, this situation is worse for Yotan because he doesn't even know if it is permanent or not. You are so not fucking helping the situation by losing your cool and beating the shit out of Yohji just because he pissed you off.//  
  
//Schuldig, you come and take care of him. I won't be able to get him out from under there . . The injuries are only superficial, if I try to get him out from under the bed, he'll fight me and will get hurt, but he will come to you.//  
  
//What about Bombay here? He is looking at me like he wants to stick more than a few darts in me now.//  
  
Crawford looks into the immediate future, //He will stay there if you tell him to. He won't be happy about staying put, but he will stay there.//  
  
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Under the bed Yohji curls up into a fetal position, ignoring the tears spilling down his cheeks. He hears the door unlock and then open followed by the sound of footsteps, someone leaving and someone entering the room.  
  
Schuldig walks over to the bed and peeks under, "Hey kid, you all right?" stupid question.  
  
Green tear-filled eyes peer back at him, "Schu?"  
  
"Yeah kid, it's me. Come on out from under there," Schuldig extends his hand to the scared boy under the bed. "Don't worry, Brad left, he can't hurt you . . . I won't let him hurt you."  
  
Yohji takes the hand offered and lets himself be pulled out from underneath the bed.  
  
Before Schuldig can say or do anything Yohji falls into his arms, crying, the need for comfort overbearing and coming off of him in waves. All of the stress, the uncertainty of who he is, Jason or Yohji, the need to be accepted, the fear of rejection . . . the confusion of conflicting memories, conflicting identities. The utter loneliness of knowing that he really is alone in this situation. Loneliness coupled with a paralysing fear of powers that he might have, powers that he does have, powers that he has unconsciously blocked, but nonetheless used.  
  
Gently, Schuldig wraps his arms around the weeping boy. He doesn't say anything, he just accepts this, they might have tried to kill each other in the past, but right now that seems inconsequential.  
  
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[1] "Jodete, Cabrón."="Fuck you, Bastard."  
  
Responses to Reviews:  
  
Gale: It's going to take a little bit more than ff.net being a bit baka to make me disappear. . . If worse comes to worse, I tend to put my fics up on my site, though it might be a good idea for me to update. ^^;;; Once again, sorry about the 'Evil Brad' thing. . . . I'm trying to curb that, he should go back to being the 'I care about some people but I don't want to admit it, Brad'. LOL Hmmm. . . .Schu/Yohji/Omi . . .. that has possibilities. Though not sure yet, I'll let the boys decide on that one as they go along. As for Erik, well. . . I can't really answer that without giving spoilers. Oh, and don't worry about long reviews. . . I love reading them (and re- reading them).  
  
Soulshadow: Hey thanks! Hope that this chapter is up to your expectations. Unfortunately it isn't as long as some. . . but, I'm still working on number 19.  
  
Yanagi-sen: Yannie!!!!!! *GLOMPS* Bad Aneki. . . ^.~ But I'm glad that you enjoy my fics as much as I enjoy yours. 


	19. The Kitty in a Dream

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part nineteen.  
  
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Trailing fingertips along the wall, Yohji heads for the living room, secure in the knowledge that Omi is still there typing away at the computer trying to find out the location of that Adrian Noir person.  
  
A figure sitting at the computer is enough to confirm his suspicion. The small size and blond hair are enough proof that it is Omi sitting there. "Hey Omi, how is the search coming along?"  
  
Omi looks back at Yohji, "Are you sure that you should be up? You took quite a beating from Crawford."  
  
"I'm fine." Carefully he makes his way over to where Omi is sitting and climbs into the chair behind the current occupant. "Just wanted to spend a little time with you," he says while resting his chin on Omi's shoulder, "that's all."  
  
Gasping slightly at the touch, Omi looks down to see Yohji's arms and legs wrapped around him. "Yohji," the sweet voice comes out a little sterner than usual, "You are distracting."  
  
Nuzzling at his ear Yohji quips back, "I try to be, glad to see that it is working."  
  
"Ne, Yohji," this question has been going around in the back of his mind for a while now. "When I kissed you in the shower . . . why did you taste like lollypops?"  
  
A small snort escapes the boy. "I can't smoke in this body. Actually, I tried, nearly turned green and tried to cough up a lung for my trouble. But you know how I love to have something in my mouth," Yohji chuckles softly, "and for the moment I've been sucking . . . on a lot of lollypops, seem to be the safest option at the moment. Though, right now there is something else that I would love to try . . . sucking on."  
  
Shaking his head, Omi keeps on typing . . . and feels Yohji moving around behind him, getting more comfortable. Feather light kisses begin fluttering across the back of his neck. Moaning slightly, he leans further back into those kisses, each one seeming to melt and pool around his abdomen becoming tighter and tighter. One hand slithers up the front of his shirt and agile fingers begin playing with his nipples as the other hand rests infuriatingly on his groin.  
  
"Keep typing."  
  
What!? Keep Typing!? Cerulean eyes widen impossibly, "Yohji?"  
  
The hand resting on his groin moves, plunging down the front of Omi's shorts. Yohji's voice has dropped a few octaves, "you heard me, keep typing . . . you are supposed to be researching. I'm just trying to make sure you don't get bored."  
  
Long fingers wrap around Omi's erect member trapped within the shorts. Nearly panting Omi tries to twist around enough to capture Yohji's lips. Just when he has managed to trap those luscious candy flavoured lips and has won complete and utter victory against the smaller boy's mouth. Someone pulls the chair back[1].  
  
The sudden motion eliciting a squeak from Yohji, a noise that Omi had never expected to hear from the other assassin.  
  
"Hi chibis . . . I thought that Brad said no making out until Omi finished finding that guy?" "Yotan, out of the chair."  
  
Arms and legs wrap more securely around Omi, making his highly aroused state painfully more obvious.  
  
"Balinese, I'm serious . . . out of the chair."  
  
"No." Jade green eyes flash defiantly.  
  
Schuldig pulls the chair further away from the computer desk and picks Yohji up out of the seat with a little difficulty. Unceremoniously the diminutive boy is dropped on the floor where he promptly scrambles into a cross-legged position to salvage any of his dignity that might be left after being treated like a plush toy again.  
  
"What's the matter chibi?"  
  
A gasp of surprise escapes Yohji when the red head sits down behind him and pulls the small blond into his lap, his legs unravelling from their crossed position. "I'm not a toy, so quit treating me like one. . ."  
  
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Koneko walks through the hallway once again. Alichino's meow draws her attention to the dining room table. Standing on the table is the grey lynx- point cat, his pink nose turned to the girl. Something about those eyes is wrong. He only has one eye. Why does he only have one eye?  
  
Not much time left . . . A voice in the air.  
  
Quickly, she turns around to see who could have made that comment. There isn't a soul to be seen. Turning back, reveals Alichino gone. In his place is a tall man with white hair and a patch over one eye, there is a nasty scar on the bridge of his nose. He speaks, even though normally she does not understand Japanese, here it comes across clear as a bell. "There isn't much time left."  
  
In a moment of hesitation, Koneko slightly steps back . . . and hears the slight sound of water beneath her feet. The man in front of her steps towards her, in his hand is a large conch shell. Her eyes are glued to the shell. Away from the ocean they bring misfortune trying to return to their natural home.  
  
She wakes in a cold sweat. A glance at the digital clock tells her that it is 7:45am. He told me something, a message that I have to give. It was only a dream. It was only a dream. Pain threads its way through her head. Sitting on the night table, next to the clock are her pills. I don't need you, she thinks determinedly to herself after they arrived unconsciously to her hand.  
  
The other girl in the room is still fast asleep. Quickly Koneko pulls on some warm clothes to make sure she doesn't catch a chill while outside and scribbles out a note for Yolissa in case she wakes before Koneko returns. Pocketing the key card, the blonde strolls out of the room, down the hallways and eventually out of the hotel with only a vague notion of where she is going.  
  
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After licking a line up Yohji's cheek, Schuldig laughs as the smaller boy flinches away from the action. "Carajo. . . Dejame quieto. . . What the fuck. . . Leave me alone you perv."  
  
"Chibi, you were teasing poor Omittchi, I thought that it was just fair to tease you a little." Snickering, the German holds the blonde a little closer.  
  
Cerulean eyes widening, "let him go. . . Yotan always loved to tease me."  
  
"Well then, I suppose that this means I should let the kitty cat get up." The grip on the reluctant blonde eases up slightly and Yohji scampers up and away from the red head.  
  
By the time breakfast noises are heard in the kitchen, a testament to Brad being awake and making breakfast[2], Yohji can be found lounging in a chair somewhat dozing off while Omi continues at the computer.  
  
Getting bored, Yotan gets out of his chair and goes over to have a look at the information that keeps popping up on the screen. Out of the corner of his eye a flash of red past a doorway indicates that the German is in the kitchen with the American. -----------------------  
  
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[1] Darn it!!!! Almost had a lemon right there . . . .'''  
  
[2] Schuldig can't even make toast without burning the house down.  
  
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Responses to Reviews:  
  
Yannie: Consider Brad thoroughly scolded for you. Though I cannot promise that he will be nice. . . he is under quite a bit of stress at the moment. ^.~  
  
Soulshadow: Yohji appreciates your sympathy. . . and I appreciate your enthusiasm. Thank you! XD  
  
Kasra: Glad that you liked the fic. . . the 'Fractured Futures Trilogy' by Nekosandy can be found on my site (), I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading that as well (I was inspired so much that this entire fic came about from it. ^.~) *adds another vote for Schu/Yohji/Omi*  
  
Gale: I have every intention of keeping Schu protective of Yotan. . . even if he might say that he is only doing so to find Erik quicker. Thank you for being understanding towards Braddie. . . he is under a lot of stress. Maybe next chapter he will make it up to Yotan?  
  
me ^.^ : Thank you for the praise, and gomen for making you wait so long for the next chapter. . . I'll try to make the next ones quicker.  
  
ChibiNani: I'm just happy that people enjoy my little story. . . and it really does mean a lot to me when they actually take the time to actually leave me feedback. I practically do a happy little dance around the room for each new review that I get. ^^;;;  
  
This time it wasn't Brad that cut the lemon scene out. . . it was Schuschu, how's that for variation? As for Sloat. . . uhm, I'll keep my comments to myself on that one, same for Aya and Ken's reactions.  
  
You know where I live? Eeep!!! *runs and hides* 


	20. Through an Open Door

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part twenty.  
  
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Koneko looks up at the foreboding apartment building . . . What am I doing here, she asks herself. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other somewhat uncomfortably she looks around a little uncertainly at the other people on the pavement. Well, everyone says that I really have big cohones[1], and it isn't everyday that I run across an apartment building in Japan . . . if someone catches me I'll just give them my best startled and lost expression while apologizing in Spanish and hope that they forgive me.  
  
Walking into the building, the small blonde erases any appearance of hesitation . . . After all, what was it that mom used to tell me? 'You can get away with almost anything if you look like you know what you are doing.'  
  
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Hazel eyes flutter open from beneath dark lashes as Adrian regains consciousness . . . almost immediately he regrets returning to awareness as his head throbs in exquisite pain. Moaning he forces himself to look around the room, each little pinprick of light and each little chirp from those birds outside, no, not birds . . . those things were frogs, causes his head to throb.  
  
Lying there a little while longer with the throbbing of his head increasing, Noir realizes that he is indeed back in his own apartment. With a little manoeuvring he manages to slide to the floor, the concept of actually getting up and walking being enough to make him feel physically ill, and shuffles to the restroom. Not bothering to turn on the light the dark haired man finds the pill bottle that contains medication for strong headaches, using the small amount of light seeping into the room, he verifies that he does indeed have the correct container and downs the proper dosage. Leaning against the cool porcelain of the toilet bowl he tries to remember what his old roommate used to suggest for exceedingly nasty headaches.  
  
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Schuldig sits up from where he was reclining, "What the fuck?!" Three pairs of eyes focus upon the cursing red head. "FUCK! Yohji . . . Your little friend, what was her name . . . Koneko is outside wandering the halls. What the hell is wrong with her mind?"  
  
Turning so that he is facing in Schuldig's direction a confused expression on his features, Yotan responds, "her mind? What do you mean, there is something wrong with her?"  
  
"Hell yeah. Her thoughts are going way too fast and cycling through information at an alarming rate. How in the hell can she concentrate on anything like that?"  
  
Looking unimpressed Yohji readjusts his position in his chair, "Oh. That . . ."  
  
"Well, whatever the hell 'that' is . . . it's giving me a headache." Long graceful fingers run through unruly red locks, "I don't have a clue why it didn't bother me before though."  
  
"It's not her fault. Koneko has an attention deficit disorder. The reason you probably didn't notice before was because she was still under the influence of her medications."  
  
Schuldig simply sighs, "That must be it."  
  
"Disorder?" Cerulean blue eyes finally turn away from the monitor, "but she looked healthy to me."  
  
"It's a learning disorder. Most people are lucky and outgrow it. She never did, and the doctors keep pushing more and stronger medications on her." Sighing, the boy runs a hand through his hair, "but what is she doing here?"  
  
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The little hairs on the back of Koneko's neck stand up when she hears a door behind her open. . . not bothering to turn around she continues pretending that she belongs there, maybe the person won't notice a gaijin wandering around?  
  
"Pero que cohones tienes Koneko[2]. . ."  
  
Jason? Turning around, the petite girl sees her long time friend. . . and smiles. "You know I have really big ones."  
  
"Eso es biiien obvio[3]. What are you doing wandering around here kittykat?"  
  
A few steps bring Koneko to Jason/Yohji. Lightly embracing, they give each other a besito. "I had a creepy dream. . . and decided to go for a walk."  
  
Golden brows knit together, "and your walk brought you here?"  
  
"Actually, it did. . . believe it or not." Pawing through her backpack/purse Koneko nods enthusiastically. Finding what she was searching for, she pulls out a glasses case and hands it over to Yohji. At his puzzled expression she decides to clarify her actions. . . "Your glasses. . . You were squinting."  
  
"Ah."  
  
Smirking a bit, she tries to get a glimpse at the living quarters behind the door he is standing in. "You are here because?"  
  
In Yohji's mind a nasally voice intercedes itself. /Invite her in. . . she's dying to see what the place looks like. Just make sure she takes what ever medication she is supposed to take! The girl is starting to give me a headache./ "My cousin lives here." Stepping back from the door, Yohji motions for her to enter the apartment. "So. . . between, between[4]. . . anyway, what was your creepy dream about?"  
  
Stepping into the apartment Koneko wonders idly if she should take off her shoes. . . it is a Japanese apartment after all. The fleeting image of Farfellow passes through her mind as she recalls the dream. "I dreamt that your cat threw a shell at me."  
  
"Shoes." Yohji comments, nodding towards her shoes. . . indicating that she should remove them, not noticing that Schuldig has suddenly sat up in the seat where he resettled himself. "Why did Missy throw a shell at you?"  
  
Toeing off her thick-soled sneakers Koneko shakes her head. "Not Missy. . . it was Alichino that threw it at me. Something about there not being much time left."  
  
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[1] Cohones= Balls. To say that someone has really large balls it means that they are really like to push their luck in certain situations.  
  
[2] Pero que cohones tienes Koneko = What balls you have Koneko. . . (this is basically saying that she is kind of gutsy? And the 'balls' it is referring to, would be scrotum. o.O )  
  
[3] Eso es biiien obvio= That is reeeally obvious.  
  
[4] Between, between= bad joke. In Spanish you can say "Entre, entre. . ." which either translates to "Enter, enter. . ." or "Between, between. . ."  
  
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Responses to Reviews:  
  
Yanagi-sen: Yeah, I guess it is a lot easier to harass me over IM. As for Yotan's current bad eye sight. . . I think that I just took care of that in this horribly short chapter. -_-;;;  
  
Gale: Schu is definitely growing on Yotan. . . As for Yotan's hair? Actually, It's pretty long. . . Here's a chibi drawing of him and Omi. . . ^_^  
  
Since the beginning of the story. . . Wow, it's been a few months, but you have to take into consideration that a good deal of time was actually 'lost' while Jason was in a coma, and Adrian was still helping to put together the little contraption that he was working on. (also, I have to look back and see exactly how long it's been myself. ^^;;;;) 


	21. Trip from here to there Trip in minds

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money.  
  
This story is also written as a continuation of NekoSandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges. Part twenty-one.  
  
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Walking over to the computer, Koneko takes a glance at some of the information that is up on the screen. . . . images flash past on the monitor as Omi continues searching for the origin of that particular email. One IP in general manages to link them back to a website in a language the assassin cannot understand.  
  
"Hey, isn't that Arecibo?" The blond haired girl asks, startling Omi.  
  
Gathering his wits, Omi looks back up at Koneko, "Ah re si bo?"  
  
"Arecibo. . . A town not that far from where we live." Koneko comments, only to receive a weird expression from Yohji as he gets up to take a better look at the monitor.  
  
"Far in whose point of view? It takes over an hour to get there. . ." Taking Omi's hand, Yohji clicks on one of the links. "Hey, wasn't there some sort of spat over in that area before my accident?"  
  
"Uhmm. . . Yeah, I think so," the girl says as she picks her braid and begins twirling it between her fingers. "It was because the governor of Arecibo accepted some donations and allowed some private company to take control of the radio dish there. SETI was not very pleased about being booted out of the facility. . ."  
  
One click is all it takes to bring up the image of the radio dish on the monitor. . . seconds before Brad can mentally warn Schuldig to Yohji away from the computer. Jade eyes take in the image of the dish on the screen and the young blond feels as though he were being ripped in two. Mouth open in a silent scream, Jason's body begins tumbling down like a puppet whose strings have been clipped. In the distance, Yohji can hear several people calling for him. . .  
  
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The radio dish, that dish, that dish, that dish. . . is what fills the assassin's eyes as he is torn from his 'body'. . . Suspended in nothingness, Yohji can feel an intense pain emanating from somewhere nearby. Below him he knows without looking that the dish is there. Darkness, the coquis sing out to one another in the night.  
  
/Who's there?/  
  
Coqui-coqui-coqui-coqui. . .  
  
A child is crying somewhere.  
  
A child is crying.  
  
Where is the child?  
  
Where is Erik?  
  
Going closer to the dish fills Yohji with dread. . . closer still, the dread turns to fear. That is a place filled with pain.  
  
A child's voice on the wind whispers to him. . .  
  
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Coughing, Yohji opens his eyes, pain running through his body, repercussion from having been slammed so forcibly back into the physical form he now wears. In the distance he can hear Omi and Koneko crying.  
  
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows that he's lying in someone's lap. He tries to vocalize enough to tell Omi and Koneko that he's all right. . . they've both been through too much pain in their lives, but it feels like someone has stuffed his mouth with cotton.  
  
From both Omi and Koneko, Yohji can feel the riot of emotions rolling off of the two of them. Without warning, he can feel a shift in Koneko's emotions. . . a shift that he's willing to bet occurred with more than a little meddling on Schuldig's part. No word is given as the girl picks up her belongings and leaves.  
  
"Shh. . . Yohji, just lay still. . . you need to rest a little bit now."  
  
After a few moments, it finally registers who said that to him. . . Schuldig? Panting somewhat, Yohji tries to follow the red head's advice. Though, the emotions battering against him from Omi make the task more difficult than previously thought.  
  
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Aya drives as Ken continues using Omi's computer to track their currently missing partner. A girl walking alone on the sidewalk draws Ken's attention. . . "Aya, that's Yohji's little friend. . . what was her name. . . Koneko!" Pulling up next to her, the window is rolled down and she gives the assassins a sunny smile. Remembering to use as simple Japanese as possible, Ken greets her, "Hi Koneko-chan."  
  
Taking a few moments to pull forth the required response, the girl answers, "Hi Ken, how are you?"  
  
In the driver's seat Aya is about ready to throttle either Ken or Koneko during their slow, tedious and highly polite conversation. Hands grip the steering wheel tightly as Ken goes through the process of getting information from the girl. From what he can understand, it seems that she believes that a distant cousin of 'Neko' picked them up from the flower shop. A cousin that sounds suspiciously similar to Schuldig, and that now 'Neko' will be spending the next few days with his family member. . .  
  
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From his little glass tube, Erik looks out at the empty room around him and smiles. Yohji was nearby. He tried telling Yohji to help Addie, since Schuschu accidentally hurt him last time. . . but he doesn't think that his Yohji heard him, it's so hard for people to hear him in here. At least Addie spoke with him that time.  
  
Leaning against the glass, the small boy sighs. It's lonely in here without Addie to tell him stories and jokes. . . when is Addie coming back?  
  
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Following the directions that Koneko gave them, Aya and Ken head off to rescue their team-mates. . . though it would have been infinitely easier if the girl hadn't kept mixing up the words for right and left when she was explaining how to arrive at Brad and Schuldig's apartment. Thankfully, Ken realised in the middle of the explanations that the girl tends to talk more with her hands than anything else, and instead of listening to 'right' and 'left' he took his cue from what direction she was pointing.  
  
After getting lost a couple of times[1], they finally find the building that they are looking for. . . Leaving the two men wondering what the heck that girl was thinking when she wandered in there earlier today.  
  
Finding a legal parking spot around the corner, Aya and Ken exit the car and slip into the apartment building.  
  
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"So, what the hell happened to me?" Yohji asks the only other person that could possibly give him a competent answer. . .  
  
"You sure that you want to know kiddo?"  
  
"Yes. It was unnerving and I would prefer not doing that again."  
  
"The way I see it," the German starts out, leaning forward he takes the green eyed boy's chin in hand and examines those same eyes. "There are two possibilities for what just happened. One, you became unhinged from this body and essentially fell out, going to the only other place that you knew of in that form."  
  
A tinge of fear creeps into Yohji's eyes at the notion of having simply slipped out of this body. . . he doesn't want to leave Omi again, not after having found him so recently.  
  
"I don't think that was what happened. Even if you are blocking your powers, you are too strong for something like that to have happened. . . . even so, if you were going to fall out of this body, it would have happened a lot sooner." The red head explains, smoothing the small blonde's hair back in an attempt to comfort him.  
  
Trying to get up, Yohji realizes that he is all but wrapped up in Schuldig's embrace. . . the German having caught him when he fell. Looking up, he can see Omi perched at the end of his seat, love and concern coming off the blue-eyed boy in waves and washing over him. Giving up his efforts to regain a vertical position, the blonde looks up at the man whose lap he is currently residing in and wonders why he isn't receiving anything from him. . .  
  
/Because I know how to shield. . . and your precious little Omittchi wouldn't know how to, even if his life depended on it./  
  
Blinking once, twice, three times. . . Jade meets emerald with more than just a bit of confusion.  
  
/After that little trip of yours, you are just a little more sensitive at the moment. . ./  
  
But I'm not. . .  
  
Schuldig interrupts that thought before Yohji can finish it. /Bullshit. You are a telepath. You were just too good at hiding it from yourself that you and everyone else never realized it./  
  
So how would I. . .  
  
/Just think something directed at a person. . . /  
  
Figuring that it can't hurt anything, Yohji gathers himself a little and concentrates completely on 'sending' to the German. . . /HOW'S THIS?!?!/  
  
Without warning, Schuldig makes a strangled little noise and collapses backwards unconscious, his mind shutting down after the small and completely inexperienced telepath did the equivalent of screaming through a megaphone into his 'ear'.  
  
Scrambling to all fours, Yohji looks wide eyed down at Schu, and is soon accompanied by Omi. One of them wondering what happened, with the second hoping that he didn't accidentally kill the man. Brad appears in the doorway with an icepack and some migraine medication, "he said 'think'. . . not shout."  
  
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Watching his nephew lying there, unconscious, kept alive solely by the work of machines. . . the urge passes through Adrian to simply pull all the plugs on everything and let the boy die a natural death, unhampered by modern science. Taking a hardback Dr. Seuss book from the table, the urge leaves the ebon haired man as he starts reading the silly rhymes to the silent figure on the bed.  
  
A he reads, the thought occurs to him of how wretched this situation truly is. . . two little boys that life has decided to play a horrible and macabre joke on. One trapped and tortured until he dies, and the other victim to an accident that left him with no real hope for the future. . . completely dependant upon the machines to perform the most basic of basic tasks for him to continue living.  
  
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They've just managed to finish getting Schuldig up onto the sofa when a nagging little sensation in the back of Yohji's mind makes him think of Aya and Ken. Looking over at the door, which seems the most likely source of the 'nagging' he is to witness Brad open it in time to send Ken sprawling across the floor in his suddenly and unexpectedly aborted attempt to break it down.  
  
Sighing, Brad looks down at the brunette, then over at Aya, and receives a glare from the irate violet-eyed man. It takes a little bit, but Ken manages to get back to his feet. "You should have thought about knocking first." Brad comments nonchalantly.  
  
"Aya-san! Ken-kun!!" is the excited cry from Omi as the small assassin dashes to his friends, leaving Yohji still kneeling next to the sofa marvelling at the unique sensation each persons emotions have. . .  
  
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[1] What else can you expect with getting directions from someone that can barely speak the language? LOL.  
  
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Responses to Reviews:  
  
Gale: Wow. . . you really have hung in with this ficcie through thick and thin. I applaud you!!! Even if I am rather irresponsible with updating at the moment. . . ^^;;; 


	22. What does Arecibo have to do with it?

Disclaimers: I do not own Weiss Kreuz, or any of its respective characters. So please don't sue me, I don't have any money. This story is also written as a continuation of Neko Sandy's "Fractured Futures Trilogy" and is written with her permission, so for the love of mercy don't harass me for using the original characters that appeared in her story.  
  
A New Dawn Emerges.   
Part twenty-two.  
  
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"What do you mean that you are staying with them?" Ken asks, not really believing what Yohji just said. Maybe Schuldig did something to his mind?  
  
The small blond shakes his head, "no... Schu didn't do anything to my mind," he comments. "But he might be able to help me."  
  
"How did you?"  
  
"Easy... since I literally fell out of my body just a few moments ago, I seem to have become more sensitive." Yohji says while leaning against Omi. The younger assassin for his part wraps his arms around the smaller figure protectively.  
  
Cerulean blue eyes keep watch on the form reclining in his embrace. "He just collapsed while we were looking at..." Two sets of eyes move towards the computer monitor. "Where did you say that was?"  
  
"Arecibo... It's about an hour or so away from my... from Jason's hometown. I think that's where I was..."  
  
Ken looks more apprehensively at the green eyed blonde. "Yohji, you never answered my question... how did you know what I was thinking?" It takes the newly discovered telepath a moment to regain his bearings once more as he perches on the sofa, somewhat reassured in an odd way that the former members of Schwarz have a western style apartment. Without any word's Yohji reaches over and takes Omi's hand before speaking. "It seems that I'm a telepath... according to Schu..." "Now you're calling him Schu?!" Ken asks, somewhat in disbelief, interrupting the young man. "Yeah... and he was trying to help me with my powers..."  
  
From the other side of the room, Schuldig inhales a long drag from his cigarette before exhaling. "Don't even think it kittens... The only reason that I'm helping out Yohji is because he can help us find out what the fuck happened to Erik."

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Wandering back into the hospital, Adrian greets some of the nurses that are there for the graveyard shift. For some reason it seems rather appropriate, that name... for the times that he is able to get away from work and visit his nephew. It has occurred to him time and time again that he should just go ahead and do what the doctors want him to do... simply sign the papers that would allow them to turn off the machines that maintain his sweet nephew tied to the land of the living.  
  
Stepping into the room, the scientist looks down at the innocent boy lying there on the bed, and realizes once again, as he has several times past, that there is no way that he can sign that child's death warrant. There was nothing that he could do to save his brother, or sister-in-law... but there is no way in this existence that he will be party to the destruction of his last living relation.  
  
Almost echoing the man's resolve, the machines around the room continue to bleep and blip as they have since the day the child was admitted to the hospital.  
  
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He can't believe that he is doing this... but then again as Brad had pointed out, he had said that he was 'Neko's' cousin, and it would be highly suspicious if he didn't accompany the boy while in Tokyo. The red head visually scouts the area, and finally sees the group of puertorricans.  
  
"Schu... be nice to them..." Yohji warns. Upon reaching the group, that is currently causing a traffic jam in the middle of a sidewalk as they simply stand there talking amongst themselves, Yohji is immediately caught up in a headlock by a girl slightly larger than he is.  
  
"Aha! Pensastes que podias escapar!" she exclaims to him, not bothering to release him. Koneko can be seen sitting on a large cement retaining wall. From the girl's expression Schuldig would hazard to guess that she's on some pretty heavy medication. A few more whines from 'Neko' and the boy is finally released... but only after his hair has been messed up and pulled from its ponytail.

Introductions are quickly made for those that hadn't met his 'cousin' before... and the group starts moving through Tokyo as they go to see the sights that the city presents to them. Several calls of "PACHINKO" followed by a few fingers pointing, are made as they pass the pachinko parlors... much to the annoyment of anyone walking around them.

Schuldig knows that he shouldn't laugh, but from the spectacle that this group is making of itself, he just has to wonder if they are always this loud, boisterous and energetic.

/they're on relatively good behavior now,/ Yohji comments as he joins in a 'round' of "KARAOKE!!!" when the sign has been identified by Rei-chan.

Several Japanese turn to look at them, then as quickly as they glared, they turn back to their business.

/Cute, and looks like you're getting a better control over your powers.../

/I guess... though, it still feels a little weird./

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AN: Okay... so I haven't posted anything for this fic in ages. Thanks to Yanagisen and Naniris harassing me is that this chapter has finally surfaced. Yes, the next chapter has already been started... I just wanted to get this up and out there. Basically me and Naniris have come to an agreement, she harasses me mercilessly for fics, and I harass her mercilessly for fics. I think that this worked out quite nicely.   
  
Responses to Reviews:  
  
Gale: Hopefully the chapters will start coming out on a more timely schedule from now on... -.-;;;  
  
Neo Angel of the Night: Sorry that this update came about a year after you posted... As for the Fractured Futures Trilogy, well, if it wasn't for that one, this fic wouldn't exist. That, and the fact that Yohji being dead really bothered me, main reason I went to such lengths to bring him back.  
  
June: thank you for such kind words!! I really hope that you still come around and see that even though I take forever to update, I haven't forgotten this fic.  
  
mangababe: Hola! Wow, you read through the entire thing in one sitting? I am impressed. As for whether or not he will get to be taller than his friends again.... uhm, males generally get their main growth spurt around 15-16, and normally stop growing about 18-24.  
  
Yohji/Jason is already 22, and exactly 5 feet tall. The only way that he is going to suddenly grow up another 8 inches (which is what he would need to reach Aya's height) is if you break his femurs and place titanium brackets on them... but then he would be hospitalized again, and his legs would be seriously disproportional to the rest of his body. Realistically he might be able to out grow Omi... but Omi is also younger than he is, and potentially still growing as well. I'm not even going to get into any other problems that making him so much taller so quickly will bring about.  
  
Golden locks... uhm, actually, his new hair color is lighter than Omi's. Which if you check out the anime, Yohji's hair is usually either the same shade, or darker than Omi's. As for the manga, well he isn't even a blond there. The only reason that I changed Jason's (Neko's) eyes from blue to green was because eyes are supposed to be the windows into the soul... and Jason isn't in there anymore, so it stands to reason that the new 'soul' would impose itself on the eyes. Therefore changing them over to Yotan's jade green eyes.  
  
Neko Sandy's Fic is sitting over in my site (which the main page is taken down...) but here's the addy to the weiss section (what is left of 


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